Drought in Central Java Spreads to 27 Regions, 12.2 Million Litres of Clean Water Distributed
The drought in Central Java is spreading further as the peak of the dry season approaches. As of early August, hundreds of thousands of families across 27 regencies and cities have been affected by the clean water crisis. The Central Java Provincial Government, together with relevant agencies, has distributed a total of 12,274,200 litres of clean water to assist struggling residents.
Based on monitoring on Thursday (6/8), the number of residents experiencing clean water difficulties, particularly for consumption, continues to rise. Many residents are forced to seek distant water sources, purchase tanker water independently, or rely on government aid. Currently, assistance has reached 281 villages in 134 sub-districts spread across 27 areas.
“We are forced to rely on clean water aid for consumption needs, because water from Pamsimas can only meet needs such as bathing and washing,” said Istikhoroh, 34, a resident of Jabungan, Banyumanik District, Semarang City.
A similar situation is occurring in Grobogan Regency. Sunaryo, 50, a resident of Depok Village, Toroh District, revealed that the dry season is not only triggering a clean water crisis for households but also threatening the agricultural sector. Farmers are forced to buy tanker water to irrigate their fields to keep their crops alive.
In Blora Regency, Slamet, a resident of Gabusan Village, said that wells and rivers have been dry since July. Meanwhile, Blora Regent Arief Rohman stated that his administration has allocated 1,400 tanker trucks of clean water aid to ease the burden on affected residents.
Semarang Mayor Agustina Wilujeng Pramestuti also confirmed that several areas in the provincial capital, such as Banyumanik, Tembalang, Gunungpati, Ngaliyan, and Genuk, have begun to experience drought. “We have prepared 900,000 litres of clean water, and nearly 100,000 litres have been distributed to various affected sub-districts,” she explained.
The Head of Operations Control at the Central Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Armin Nugroho, explained that the coverage of affected areas has continued to increase from May to early August. According to BPBD data, a total of 12.2 million litres of water (equivalent to 2,508 tankers) has been distributed to 103,626 families, or approximately 343,082 individuals.
BPBD Central Java has assured that clean water reserves remain sufficient. “We have prepared around 44.9 million litres of clean water reserves, and most of it is still available. If it proves insufficient, it will be supplemented through support from local governments, the business sector via CSR, and social institutions,” Armin concluded.