Water Is Really Dry, Parts Of Rice Fields In Makassar Are Sleeping Land

Illustration of dry rice fields due to long dryness predicted by BMKG as a result of El Nino. Antara/ Suriani Mappong

MAKASSAR - Some of the rice fields in the northern region of Makassar, South Sulawesi, have become a sleeping area due to drought so that farmers or their owners cannot work on it. "The rain that was harvested two months ago cannot be cultivated because there is no water supply," said one resident of Tamalanrea District, Muh Basri in Makassar, Antara, Sunday, September 10. In the dry season, it is usually still able to grow crops as an inter-season plant, because there is still drill well water that can be utilized. But now, he continued, all water sources are very minimal, so for daily consumption needs, you have to buy, if it is not the turn of water from PDAM Makassar. The same thing was admitted, another resident in Biringkanaya District, Makassar Daeng Jumaing. He said that since entering the dry season, it has been difficult to get ground water or surface water. As a result, the rice fields are left alone. "We can't do anything, just waiting for the rain water, because the irrigation canal has also dried up," he said. Responding to the drought, the Head of Makassar City Food Crops, Muhyiddin, admitted that Makassar City, which still owns rice fields in suburban areas such as in Districts, Tamalanrea, Biringkanaya, Antang and Manggala, has mostly dried up. "For their daily consumption needs, they are waiting for a water quota from PDAM which distributes clean water every day with their tankers," he said.

Meanwhile, based on data from the 2020 Agricultural Census, it is known that the wet rice fields in Makassar are recorded at 2,646 hectares (ha), while dry rice fields reach, 2,657 ha.