22 Villages in Bojonegoro Vulnerable to Drought

Bojonegoro, E Java (Antara) - Around 22 villages in East Java's Bojonegoro district are vulnerable to drought this year due to the weak El Nino weather phenomenon, a spokesman said. "The data of drought-prone villages during the dry season is based on reports from sub-district heads who have mapped (drought-prone areas in) their respective sub-districts," head of the preparedness section of the Bojonegoro District Disaster Mitigation Board (BPBD), Sukirno said on Saturday. The 22 villages are located in nine sub-districts of Sugihwaras, Ngraho, Kedungadem, Temayang, Sekar, Gondang, Balen, Dander and Kedewan. In one of the sub-districts, local residents had to walk more than three kilometers to get clean water, he said. "We call on the public to stay alert for the weak El Nino which will happen from July to December. Because of El Nino the monsoon will be late," he said. In its forecast, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) stated it will rain in July for five days, with rainfall ranging from 0 to 50 mm. "According to the BMKG forecast, the drought will begin in July," he said. "Right now, some residents of seven sub-districts have reported clean water shortage. We will check the report before supplying clean water," he said. (*) Reporting by Slamet Agus Sudarmojo