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Water crisis strikes nine out of 10 regencies in West Nusa Tenggara
The West Nusa Tenggara province suffers from drought every year but this year it has affected more areas than usual.
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Farmers gather damaged paddies in Batujai village in Praya Barat, central Lombok, on July 11. The farmers in the village said drought had damaged their rice. (Antara/Ahmad Subaidi)
The dry season has struck West Nusa Tenggara, causing a water crisis in nine out of 10 regencies and municipalities in the province.
According to the West Nusa Tenggara Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), 674,801 people have been affected by the drought.
“We have handled the emergency by distributing water to affected regencies and municipalities,” head of the local BPBD, Ahsanul Khalik, said on Thursday in Mataram, NTB.
He said water distribution had been carried out since last week.
“The drought and water crisis happens every year in NTB, but this year the affected areas are wider. Therefore, besides water distribution, we also have to think of a long-term solution, such as making a deep well,” he said. Ahsanul said he was talking to other relevant institutions, such as the Public Works and Housing Ministry and the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, regarding the matter.
The areas affected by the drought comprise West Lombok, Central Lombok, East Lombok and North Lombok regencies on Lombok Island, as well as West Sumbawa regency, Sumbawa regency, Dompu regency, Bima regency and Bima city on Sumbawa Island.
Several of the aforementioned regencies and municipalities have declared themselves to be in a state of drought emergency.
