3 Million Litres of Clean Water Distributed to Drought-Hit Areas in Central Java

Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi stated that regents and mayors have completed mapping of drought-affected areas. “The regents and mayors have already done the mapping. The drought-affected areas have been mapped,” he said in a written statement on Thursday (16/7/2026). According to data from the Central Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), more than a dozen regencies and cities have declared alert status, including Sukoharjo, Demak, Temanggung, Brebes, Kendal, Sragen, Banjarnegara, Purbalingga, Grobogan, Semarang, Pemalang, Wonosobo, Purworejo, Wonogiri, Salatiga, and Tegal. Luthfi explained that the mapping data will be followed up jointly with relevant agencies, with handling tailored to the characteristics and needs of each area. “In principle, the regents and mayors already have the data. We just need to execute the activities,” he said. From 5 June to 14 July 2026, a total of 3,258,000 litres of clean water aid was distributed via 660 tankers to 30,378 households, covering approximately 81,297 individuals in 15 regencies: Cilacap, Banyumas, Purbalingga, Banjarnegara, Purworejo, Magelang, Boyolali, Klaten, Sukoharjo, Sragen, Grobogan, Jepara, Demak, Semarang, and Pemalang. The clean water response is not solely undertaken by the Central Java Provincial Government but also involves collaboration with local regency governments, BPJS Kesehatan, the Serayu Opak River Basin Centre, and the regional-owned enterprise Tirta Satria through Corporate Social Responsibility programmes. This spirit of mutual cooperation is Central Java’s strength in facing disasters. The Central Java Provincial Government has also issued a Governor’s Circular on Anticipating Drought and Forest and Land Fires since 9 June 2026. This circular serves as a guideline to strengthen coordination and enhance the preparedness of all local governments in facing potential disasters during the dry season. Luthfi added that technical discussions on drought management are still ongoing with provincial and regency/city governments. With the mapping already available, Luthfi urged each region to promptly prepare operational measures to ensure communities continue to have access to clean water during the dry season. Beyond emergency response through clean water distribution, the Central Java Provincial Government is also strengthening medium- and long-term measures, such as maintaining communal boreholes, reinforcing clean water supply infrastructure, improving logistics management, conserving water resources, and educating the public to use water wisely during the dry season.