Never Experience Drought, BPBD Still Reminds Madiun Residents To Control Irrigation

Farmers follow the irrigation canal embankment in the Wonokerso Village rice fields, Temanggung, Central Java, Thursday, February 21, 2019. (ANTARA-Anis Efizudin)

Madiun Regency BPBD asked residents to anticipate the drought due to the 2023 dry season which is predicted by BMKG to be longer.

Head of BPBD Madiun Muhamad Zahrowi said drought during the dry season has the potential to threaten forest and land fires (karhutla), crop failure, and lack of clean water, especially in forest edge areas and minimal irrigation areas.

"Although drought and extreme clean water shortages have never occurred in Madiun Regency, the potential for drought still needs to be watched out for," he said in Madiun, Sunday, August 13, which was confiscated by Antara.

He explained that there are several areas that are vulnerable to drought in Madiun Regency, namely Gemarang District, Kare District, and Saradan.

As for the anticipation of drought in Madiun, he said, it was carried out by controlling pump wells for irrigation and alerting supporting equipment for firefighters.

In addition, the community is asked to maintain behavior by saving on the use of clean water, then not throwing away cigarette butts carelessly which can cause potential land and forest fires in the dry season. This is because 40 percent of Madiun Regency is forest.

BPBD Madiun is also intensively coordinating with Perum Perhutani KPH Madiun and KPH Saradan. It also has an application to detect hot spots that can be accessed at any time. So, if a forest fire occurs, it can be handled immediately.