Drought, clean water shortage continue<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni and Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta\/Cirebon<\/p>\n
Demand for local governments' help to provide clean water is
\nintensifying, as the seasonal drought continues to affect
\nthousands of people in many parts of Java.<\/p>\n
The local administration in Gunung Kidul, the regency hardest
\nhit by the drought in Yogyakarta province, estimated that 94,000
\npeople were in need of government assistance, as they could not
\nafford to buy clean water.<\/p>\n
Sumarno, the assistant to the regental secretary for
\ndevelopment affairs, told The Jakarta Post on Saturday the
\ndrought this year had already affected 120,000 people living in
\n52 villages. The affected villages are mostly impoverished and
\nlie across Gunung Kidul, an arid mountain southwest of the
\nprovincial capital, which regularly suffers from drought.<\/p>\n
\"Request for clean water from the people is increasing. But we
\nhave limited funds to provide free clean water,\" Sumarno said.<\/p>\n
The regental administration has allocated only Rp 150 million
\n(US$17,600 million) from its 2003 budget to provide clean water
\nfor poor residents. Sumarno said the local government would need
\nRp 500 million, based on a forecast that the dry season will end
\nin October.<\/p>\n
The local government has been sending water tanks to the
\ndrought-affected villages, each of which costs up to Rp 100,000.
\nA total of eight tankers carrying 4,000 liters of clean water
\nhave been sent to the villages every day, making five delivery
\ntrips.<\/p>\n
The administration has built a pipeline connecting the
\nvillages to distribute ground water taken from a deep well, but
\nit does not work well due to technical problems with the pump.<\/p>\n
\"We need investment of over Rp 10 billion to make it reach the
\nneedy,\" said Sumarno, adding that the central government had not
\napproved the much-awaited project.<\/p>\n
In Kulonprogo regency, the water shortage has reached 18
\nvillages in the districts of Kokap, Girimulyo, Kali Bawang and
\nSamigaluh. The villages are situated on the Menoreh mountain.<\/p>\n
\"If there is no rainfall until the end of October, we are
\nafraid the drought will considerably extend to other areas,\" said
\nJuwardi of the Kulonprogo natural disaster management team.<\/p>\n
Juwardi said the Kulonprogo government had been delivering
\nclean water to each of the affected areas and had also built a
\n10,000-liter water tank to anticipate future effects of the
\ndrought.<\/p>\n
\"Clean water shortage was not expected to occur. That's why we
\ndidn't allocate a special budget for it,\" he said. The local
\ngovernment has taken money from the regency's emergency fund to
\nprovide water for the people.<\/p>\n
In the West Java regency of Cirebon, drought has far reduced
\nthe tap water supply for 3,000 houses, with customers in
\nKapetakan, Gegesik, Arjawinangun and Beber districts being worst
\naffected.<\/p>\n
\"The supply has been falling by as much as 40 percent because
\nthe water springs on Mount Ciremai are being drained,\" said
\ngeneral manager Nasir Asman of the tap water company.<\/p>\n
The company serves 21,500 customers.<\/p>\n
He said the springs were draining as a result of environment
\ndamage affecting thousands of hectares of forest and water
\ncatchments on Mt Ciremai.<\/p>\n
The Cibodas, Cikalahang and Kumpulkuista springs are the
\nregular water sources of the company. The rate of water flow from
\nthe springs has declined to between 40 liters and 60 liters per
\nsecond, from the normal rate of 100 liters per second, said
\nNasir.<\/p>\n
\"Our customers have to take turns in using water due to our
\nlimited supply,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A customer in Gagesik said he used tap water only for cooking
\nand had to buy more from water vendors for other purposes,
\nincluding bathing.<\/p>\n
Nasir said the tap water company had suggested the local
\nadministration build a dam to collect rain water, which would be
\nvery helpful during the annual dry season.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/drought-clean-water-shortage-continue-1447893297",
"image": ""
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