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Drought-hit Gorontalo faces harvest failure, water crisis
People living in Gorontalo are dealing with drought that is predicted to last until October.
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Children fill gallon jugs with water from small wells made by locals at a river bank in Bulota subdistrict, Limboto district, Gorontalo. (JP/Defri Sofyan)
W
ater gallon jugs line village roads; the corn harvest has ended, while fish are dead in Gorontalo as people living there deal with the drought that is predicted to last until October.
The water surface of Lake Limboto, which had functioned as a water source during the dry season, has decreased some 300 meters below that of its normal condition.
Local fishermen predicted that the lake was currently only a meter deep, from normally around 2.5 meters deep. They found it difficult to find fish in the lake.
“The fish are dead, leaving only two types, tilapia and manggabai,” said fisherman Ramin, 62, of Hutadaa village, referring to the lake’s endemic fish species.
Head of the local Protected Forest (HL) and River Basin Area Management Center (BPDAS), M. Tahir, blamed the water decrease not only on the dry season but also on damage to the seven rivers that emptied into the lake, namely the Rentenga, Alopohu, Marisa, Meluopo, Bionga, Topodu and Bolango rivers.
“In the dry season, the rivers dry up. In the rainy season, they become murky, sending sediment into the lake,” said Tahir, adding that damaged rivers contributed to the silting of the lake.
According to 2010 data, some 10.5 million tons of sediment had entered the lake. The figure may continue to increase, with many predicting the lake will disappear by 2025.
