Indonesia: Floods submerge over 1,273 hectares of rice fields in Lebak

Antara 14 Feb 17;

Lebak (ANTARA News) - Floods submerged 1,273.25 hectares (ha) of rice fields in Lebak District, Banten Province, inflicting material losses worth billions of rupiah.

"We hope the Agriculture Ministry would help by offering compensation for the losses incurred, as the paddy fields were ravaged by floods. Hence, after receiving the aid, the farmers could speed up replanting," Itan Oktarianto of the local agriculture office, stated here, Monday.

The paddy plants inundated by the floods are between two and five weeks old.

"If the paddy plants are flooded for five consecutive days, they will be destroyed," he noted.

The flooded rice fields are located in 14 sub-districts, including nine ha in Bojongmanik, 14 ha in Sobang, 317 ha in Gunungkencana, 12.25 ha in Leuwidamar, and 30 ha in Bayah.

Moreover, floods also affected 171 ha of rice fields in Banjarsari, 100 ha in Cirinten, 254 ha in Malingping, five ha in Lebak Gedong, one ha in Cilograng, 45 ha in Cijaku, 2.5 ha in Muncang, nine ha in Cibeber, and 302 ha in Wanasalam.

Flooding in Lebak was triggered by incessant heavy rains that caused several rivers to overflow their banks.

Oktarianto believed the flooding is the worst to have occurred in Lebak over the last five years.

Indonesia is currently experiencing rainy season that has caused flooding in several provinces, including East Java, West and East Nusa Tenggara, and Jakarta.

(Reported by Mansyur/Uu.F001/INE/KR-BSR/O001)