Drought hits Cilacap

Drought hits Cilacap

CILACAP, Central Java: Water shortages hitting nearly 31
villages in the district of Cilacap, Central Java, have left
children in that area suffering from diarrhea.

Community health centers in those villages were packed with
patients, mostly children, on Friday.

Besides the diarrhea outbreak, thousands of adults in those
villages located in eight subdistricts have found it difficult to
get water to wash themselves.

"We can neither take a bath nor boil water. Indeed, we have to
queue for hours to get clean water," said Muhammad, 45, a
resident in Gandrungmangu village.

The villages include Bantarsari, Kawunganten, Gandrungmangu,
Sidareja, Wanareja, and North Cilacap.

Regent of Cilacap Herry Tabri told the press on Friday that
the local administration had provided the residents with clean
water. "We have supplied 30 containers of clean water."

Herry estimated that those villages would need 1,500
containers, each with a capacity of 6,000 liters until the coming
of the rains in October. (45/08)