The Indonesian government on Tuesday kicked off creation of artificial rains to water down some areas which have suffered from drought, as a result of El Nino, official said here.

The prolonged dry season has caused over 200,000 hectares rice field across the country a lack of water and 30,000 hectares of which has failed in harvest, according to agriculture ministry. "The creation of artificial rain commenced today and it will be terminated in the next 90 days,"Heru Widodo, acting head of artificial rain unit of the agency for assessment and appliance of technology, told a press conference at Halim Perdana Kusuma airport on Tuesday.

Moderate impact of El Nino will hit Indonesia from August to December with the peak in September, according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency.

The artificial rains aim at watering dried rice fields and dumping for irrigation, said Widodo.

On Tuesday, the artificial rain started watering agricultural areas from West Java to Central Java, and other areas would follow to get the treatment, he said.

Previously, Indonesian Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman has said that thousands of pumps would be distributed to farmers whose lands were hit by drought across the country.

The minister said that the country has not yet decided to import rice, the staple food for most of the country's 250 million population, as the stockpile is sufficient. Endi

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