BPBD Klaten Distributes 485,000 Litres of Clean Water to Combat Merapi Slope Drought

The impact of the dry season is beginning to be felt by residents on the slopes of Mount Merapi in Klaten Regency. A total of 2,175 families, equivalent to 6,862 individuals, in Kemalang District are now starting to depend on clean water assistance due to the drought affecting the area. According to data from the Klaten Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the thousands of affected residents are spread across three main villages: Tlogowatu, Tegalmulyo, and Kendalsari. The initial distribution of clean water aid was officially launched by Klaten Regent Hamenang Wajar Ismoyo on 15 June 2026. Head of Emergency and Logistics at BPBD Klaten, Anjung Darojati, explained that as of early this week, the agency continues to distribute water intensively to the affected locations. During the period of 15-22 June 2026, the total water distributed reached 485,000 litres. “As of early this week, BPBD Klaten has carried out water drops to three drought-stricken villages in Kemalang, totalling 97 tankers or 485,000 litres,” Anjung told Media Indonesia at the BPBD Klaten Office on Tuesday (23/6). To anticipate the long drought of 2026, BPBD Klaten has allocated a budget for the procurement of clean water amounting to 1,000 tankers, each with a capacity of 5,000 litres. This figure is the same as the allocation for the previous year. Operationally, BPBD deploys four tanker trucks that operate daily to ensure the basic needs of residents on the slopes of Merapi are met. The local government is urging residents to start using their existing water reserves wisely, given that the peak of the dry season is still ongoing.