Drought Impact in 9 Cianjur Districts Potentially Widening

The impact of drought due to a prolonged dry season in Cianjur Regency, West Java, has the potential to spread across nine sub-districts, with the majority of the affected areas located in the south. Head of Emergency and Logistics at the Cianjur Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Samudra Wira Purnama, stated that the agency has received reports of the dry season’s impact from various regions. The primary impact is a clean water crisis as residents’ bore wells begin to dry up. “Based on preliminary reports, nine sub-districts have reported being affected by the drought, and it has the potential to spread,” Samudra said on Friday (24/7). The nine sub-districts include Cikalongkulon, Naringgul, Pagelaran, Cibinong, Kadupandak, Cidaun, Cianjur, and Agrabinta. Samudra confirmed that the drought’s impact is still categorised as vulnerable. “So, the condition has not been categorised as extreme yet,” he said. Currently, residents are relying on water supplies from rivers, although the water volume is very limited. “We are working to ensure that residents in the affected areas can receive clean water assistance,” he stated. BPBD, in coordination with relevant agencies, has begun distributing clean water aid to locations including Gayam Village in Cianjur Sub-district, as well as Sukajadi Village and Pamoyanan Village in Cibinong Sub-district. “We will distribute clean water aid upon request through the local government apparatus. We coordinate with the local water utility (Perumdam Tirta Mukti) and the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI),” he said. Samudra added that in addition to requests for clean water distribution, local governments are also seeking long-term solutions. They have requested the construction of artesian wells or pipe networks to facilitate access to water sources. “So that when a drought like this occurs, the community is not overly burdened. We will coordinate with the Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency and the West Java BPBD. We will also conduct an assessment to monitor conditions on the ground, including assessing the utilisation of the Cileungsir spring in Ciramagirang Village, Cikalongkulon Sub-district,” he concluded.