600 hectares of rice fields in Nagan Raya dry up as Jeuram canal shallows
Rice plants are starting to wilt, and the next planting season could be at risk if canal normalization is delayed.
Around 600 hectares of rice fields in Kuala and Suka Makmue districts, Nagan Raya regency, Aceh, are drying up as the dry season hits the area. The Nagan Raya Agriculture and Livestock Office said water flow has dropped sharply because the Jeuram Irrigation Canal has become shallow from sand and silt deposits, along with low rainfall. The affected land is spread across 11 villages in Kuala, including Ujong Pasi, Alue Ie Mameh, Simpang Peut, Blang Muko, and Blang Bintang, and two villages in Suka Makmue, Seumambek and Macah. Marzuki said the conditions are causing rice plants to start wilting and slowing their growth. Distannak has asked the Aceh provincial water management agency to normalize the canal immediately, while also arranging water rotations, clearing sediment, and proposing water pump assistance and alternative water sources.