Floods Soak 41 Hectares Of Rice Fields In Bima City, 267 Farmers Threatened With Harvest Failure

Residents' rice fields were submerged when floods hit parts of the Bima area, West Nusa Tenggara. (ANTARA)

The floods that hit five urban villages in the Bima City area, West Nusa Tenggara Province, affected 41 hectares belonging to 267 farmers in danger of crop failure.

"Temporary data on the area of rice fields affected by the flood reached 41 hectares. We are still collecting data in five urban villages until this morning," said Head of BPBD Bima Gufran as quoted by ANTARA, Sunday, March 2.

He said that moderate to heavy rain that flushed parts of the city of Bima on Saturday, April 1 at 15.40 to 18.00 WITA caused flooding in the sub-districts of Dodu, Mande, Sadia, Paruga, and Kendo.

In addition to inundating residential and road environments, Gufran said the flood caused rice fields to be submerged, including rice and corn that were ready to harvest in the area.

The Bima City BPBD has coordinated with the Disaster Preparedness Cadets (Tagana) and the Social Service to distribute food aid to residents affected by the flood.

After the flood receded on Sunday morning, Gufran said that BPBD officers, Tagana, and the Bima City Social Service also helped clean up residential areas and public facilities affected by the flood.

"Cleaning activities will continue on Monday (3/4) because there are still three large pieces of wood carried away by the current that we must execute because it blocks the house," he said.