VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The capital Jakarta saw 1,106 more people recovering from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Saturday, taking the total recoveries to 78,052 since the pandemic began to affect the capital city in early March 2020.

The number of people recovering from the virus represented 83.6 percent of the total positive cases at 93,356, according to data from the Jakarta Provincial Government.

The data show 13,262 of the 93,356 people testing positive for COVID-19 are receiving treatment and conducting self-isolation. Meanwhile, 2,032 people died of the infection, accounting for 2.2 percent of the total positive cases.

With the addition of 974 new cases, the number of people testing positive for the coronavirus in Jakarta reached 93,356 as of Saturday (Oct 17).

The 974 new cases were derived from the results of swab tests conducted on 914 people on Friday (Oct 16) and the addition of 60 cases from Oct 14-15 reported only on Saturday.

Meanwhile, 10,921 specimens were examined using a polymerase chain reaction on Saturday, comprising 8,518 specimens examined to diagnose new cases, with 914 specimens testing positive and 7,604 specimens testing negative for the COVID-19.

With the figure, Jakarta recorded a recovery rate in the past week at 10 percent, down from 10.6 percent earlier.

The figure is still above the percentage limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO) at below 5 percent for the past week.

Cumulatively, Jakarta's positive rate since early March 2020 is 8.3 percent. (Antaranews)

An earthquake occurred in Jailolo District, West Halmahera Regency, North Maluku, Monday (19/10/2020) at 08.06 WIB.

Fortunately, the 4.5 magnitude earthquake did not have the potential for a tsunami.

"The coordinates of the earthquake are located at 1.17 north latitude and 126.82 east longitude," wrote the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) in its official account.

The epicenter of the earthquake was at sea, 72 km from the west of Jailolo District, North Maluku, which was felt up to Ternate on the MMI II scale, which means vibrations were felt by several people, light objects that were hanging were shaking.

"The earthquake has a depth of 35 km," wrote BMKG. (RRI)

The Public Works and Public Housing Ministry has targeted to complete the construction of four dams by end of December 2020 to support national food and water resilience.

Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono said in a statement here on Sunday, Indonesia's water potential has reached 2.7 trillion cubic meters per year. However, of the total volume, only 691 billion cubic meters have been used, some 222 billion cubic meters of it were used for households, animal husbandry, fish farm, and irrigation.

The country would need more water reservoirs, including dams, hence people could collect rainwater in the rainy season and use them during the dry season, he said.

The ministry's Director General for Water Resource Jarot Widyoko said the four dams that have been included in the government's National Strategic Program are Tapin, Tukul, Napun Gete, and Passeloreng dams.

Construction of the 1,892-hectare Paselloreng dam has been completed, with its capacity of 138 million cubic meters to irrigate 8,510 hectares of paddy field. The construction worth Rp753,4 billion was conducted under the Joint Operational (KSO) scheme of PT Wijaya Karya and PT Bumi Karsa.

Tukul Dam in East Java has a capacity of 8,68 million cubic meters and is projected to irrigate  600 hectares of paddy field and supply 300 liters of raw water per second. The construction worth Rp904 billion began in 2013 by PT Brantas Abipraya.

Tapin dam in South Kalimantan with a capacity of 56.77 million cubic meters will focus on serving irrigation systems in 5,472 hectares of paddy field in Tapin District.

Napun Gete dam in Sikka District of East Nusa Tenggara is expected to start water impounding in December.

Widyoko said the development of the dams is part of structural efforts in managing water and reducing the risk of flooding, in addition to non-structural efforts such as replanting program in the upstream area, the synergy between government ministries/institutions with the community that care for the rivers, and continued education to the people to stop littering in the river. (Antaranews)

The Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) developed 14 food resilience-based villages in peatland areas, in cooperation with the Village, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration Ministry.

The agency's Deputy for Education, Socialization, Participation, and Partnership Myrna A Safitri said in a statement on Sunday, food resilience has become one focus of the agency since the establishment of Peatland-Care Village in 2017.

The development of the food resilience-based villages would be conducted through close cooperation among villages, and in a prudent manner especially in degraded peatland, she said.

Therefore, she continued, the agency has established a field school for peatland farmers to train them on agricultural land management without slash and burn practice.

Previously, a spokesman of the Agriculture Ministry Kuntoro Boga said the ministry has run the program to increase peatland production capacity in Central Kalimantan, which covers an area of 85,456 hectares for intensification program and 79,142 hectares for extensification program.

In addition to the paddy field, the extensification program will also include the development of corn plantation, shallot, garlic, chili, and sugar cane plantation, as well as cattle farms to reduce import.

On the development of food estate in Central Kalimantan, Boga said, the ministry has targeted to develop food estate covering an area of 10 thousand hectares, and as of now, some 7 thousand hectares have been cultivated.

"The food estate program is conducted in mineral peatland and alluvial land, not peatland area," he noted. (Antaranews)