Addressing Drought Impacts: Sumedang Maximises Role of Sub-district Heads
The Regent of Sumedang, Donny Ahmad Munir, has held a coordination meeting to tackle drought conditions. All sub-district heads (Camat) have been appointed as coordinators for handling the situation within their respective jurisdictions. They have been tasked with updating data on drought-prone villages, monitoring daily conditions, accelerating reporting, and ensuring that public services remain operational throughout the dry season.
The coordination meeting involved the TNI, Polri, the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), regional agencies, the Regional Water Utility Company (Perumda Air Minum), the Cimanuk-Cisanggarung River Basin Organisation (BBWS), the Red Cross (PMI), BAZNas, universities, the business sector, village governments, and the community.
“Addressing the dry season cannot be done alone. All parties must move together to minimise the impact. Early detection and mapping of areas prone to drought, forest and land fires, crop failure, clean water crises, and road damage must serve as the basis for setting handling priorities,” stated the Regent.
To maintain food security, the Sumedang Regency Government is optimising irrigation repairs, the operation of water pumps, the utilisation of small reservoirs (embung) and dams, and the adjustment of planting patterns. The government will also strengthen the monitoring of potential crop failures, accompanied by the provision of food reserves and emergency assistance for affected communities.
To guarantee the availability of clean water, the government will accelerate water distribution through coordination between the BPBD, Perumda Air Minum, BBWS, and the Red Cross, while optimising the 112 emergency service. The BPBD will act as the primary coordinator for drought management, tasked with coordinating all stakeholders and mapping all available water sources.
The Regent also instructed the acceleration of the normalisation of rivers, drainage, and irrigation channels, as well as the enforcement of regulations against illegal buildings over water channels as an anticipatory measure for flooding during the rainy season. Furthermore, all regional agencies have been asked to strengthen public education regarding water conservation, fire prevention, and disaster preparedness.
In recent weeks, clean water distribution to four drought-affected villages in the Kemalang District has reached a total of 408 tanks, equivalent to 2,040,000 litres. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has commended the rapid response of joint teams in extinguishing vegetation fires in Cinanjung Village, Sumedang, West Java, which occurred recently in the border area of Licin and Mandalaherang villages.