BNPB completes clean water network restoration for Merapi eruption survivors

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has completed the restoration and repair of a clean water network for survivors affected by cold lava flows from Mount Merapi in Magelang Regency, Central Java. BNPB Head Suharyanto stated that the completion of this vital infrastructure marks the restoration of a piped clean water network stretching over 33 kilometres in Paten Village, Dukun District. “Clean water is a source of life. Alhamdulillah, through strong collaboration, the clean water crisis for 4,010 families in seven villages has now been resolved,” he said. Suharyanto explained that the acceleration of this life-supporting facility repair was a follow-up to a direct directive from President Prabowo Subianto to ensure emergency handling on the ground is fast, safe, and on target. The pipeline infrastructure is projected to restore normal clean water supply for approximately 4,010 families spread across seven affected villages. The seven villages in Dukun District that now have fully restored clean water access include Sumber, Krinjing, Paten, Sengi, Keningar, Sewukan, and Wates. To support the physical construction costs, BNPB allocated a stimulus budget from the Ready-to-Use Fund (DSP) amounting to Rp3 billion, involving community participation and self-managed pipe installation by local residents. “The construction of the piped network was carried out with community participation through self-managed pipe installation, so that clean water distribution can immediately return to normal and be utilised by residents,” Suharyanto added. The BNPB Directorate of Operations Control Coordination previously reported that the water facility damage was triggered by a cold lava flood disaster due to high rainfall intensity on the upper slopes of Mount Merapi in March 2026, which swept volcanic material such as sand, rocks, and mud into the rivers. The disaster impacted 11 villages in three districts—Dukun, Sawangan, and Mungkid—causing damage to settlements, agricultural land, and bridges, and resulted in five fatalities.