Cianjur Declares Drought Emergency as Long Dry Season Bites
The impact of the prolonged dry season has spread across various areas of Cianjur Regency, West Java, causing not only a water crisis but also the threat of forest and land fires.
Cianjur Regent Mohammad Wahyu Ferdian stated that the regency has declared a drought emergency status due to the current weather conditions. The declaration was made because the effects of the long dry season have been massive.
“Since last year, we have been conducting mitigation efforts because it was predicted that this year’s rainfall would be lower than the previous year,” Wahyu said on Thursday (6/8).
Wahyu emphasised that the mitigation efforts are a step to map potential threats that will occur during the long dry season. He has also instructed governments in each region, both sub-district and village levels, to respond quickly to any reports of drought impacts.
“We are also on standby. All sectors are on alert, such as the fire service, the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the Social Service, as well as the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police (Polri),” he said.
In the agricultural sector, Wahyu added, the Cianjur Regency Government is anticipating the long dry season by building new irrigation channels. This step is intended to maintain rice productivity amidst the dry season.
“We are also ready if there are areas or residents experiencing or threatened by drought. Please contact us directly, or we will also survey directly and conduct an assessment,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the Cianjur Resort Police have also moved quickly to follow up on reports of drought impacts. On Wednesday (5/8), the police force distributed clean water aid to residents in Kampung Cibolang RT 05, Kertajaya Village, Ciranjang Sub-district, following a report made through the 110 Call Center.
Cianjur Police Chief, Adjunct Senior Commissioner A Alexander Yurikho Hadi, confirmed that the Cianjur Police are present to assist communities in need of clean water supplies. The Cianjur Police have readied one water tanker unit with a capacity of 5,000 litres.
“This tanker is to distribute clean water aid to communities in need. One of them is in Ciranjang Sub-district,” said the Police Chief during the distribution of clean water aid on Wednesday evening.
In Kampung Cibolang, Kertajaya Village, residents have been experiencing difficulty obtaining clean water for several days. The water discharge in the wells of each resident’s home has begun to dwindle.
“This assistance is only temporary. There must be a long-term solution so that the problem of clean water supply during the dry season can be resolved,” he concluded.