Govt to provide poor with potable water<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government will allocate a portion of its
\nfuel subsidy savings for the construction of potable water
\nreservoirs for at least 1.5 million urban poor in 30 regencies
\nacross Java.<\/p>\n
Minister of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure Erna
\nWitoelar revealed on Monday that her ministry would disburse most
\nof the Rp 174 billion subsidy to people in 150 drought-prone
\nareas.<\/p>\n
Erna called the program an initial one due to the fact that
\nthere were 328 areas suffering from water shortages in the
\nisland's six provinces.<\/p>\n
\"This year's subsidy savings are adequate only to cover
\nbetween 50 and 60 percent of the drought-prone areas,\" she told a
\nmedia briefing at her office.<\/p>\n
The program will be conducted between July and December,
\nfocusing on the provision of affordable potable water to the poor
\nwhile, in the long run, empowering the people by allowing them to
\nmanage the reservoirs.<\/p>\n
Erna further said that residents in the such areas would be
\nentrusted with overseeing the expenditure of the funds if they
\nwere capable of controlling and sustaining resources within their
\nareas.<\/p>\n
\"The government will only serve as the program's technical
\nfacilitator, while the ministry of finance will disburse the
\nfunds directly to the people through community accounts,\" she
\nexplained.<\/p>\n
Secretary to the director-general of urban and village
\ndevelopment, Rachmad Karnadi, said the people who would benefit
\nfrom the funds lived in areas which were located far from local
\ngovernment-owned water utilities and had no access to ground
\nwater.<\/p>\n
\"In these areas, residents have to buy potable water for Rp
\n500 or Rp 1,000 per liter each day, which means, for water alone,
\nthey have to spend one eighth of their average Rp 100,000 in
\nmonthly income,\" he said.<\/p>\n
By comparison, he added, those who earn Rp 10 million per
\nmonth consumed 120 liters of tap water per day, which meant only
\n0.3 percent of their salary.<\/p>\n
\"Hopefully, the program can help the poor to have access to at
\nleast 20 to 40 liters of water per day at a low price,\" Rachmad
\nremarked.<\/p>\n
He said that the government would also provide public hydrants
\nfor people living in areas situated less than three kilometers
\nfrom a water utility company pipe, while those who live beyond
\nthis limit would be provided with water tanks or artesian
\nwells.(bby)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-to-provide-poor-with-potable-water-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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