East Java DPRD Demands Permanent Solution to Drought in 19 Regencies/Cities

The Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD) of East Java is urging the Provincial Government of East Java to immediately formulate a permanent solution to address the clean water crisis affecting 19 regencies and cities in the region. This call comes as emergency drought status has been declared in more than a dozen areas.

Eddy Paripurna, a member of the PDIP faction in the East Java DPRD, stressed the importance of concrete action given the threat of a strong El Niño phenomenon predicted to peak between August and September 2026. He argued that the handling so far has been reactive and has not addressed the root of the problem.

“This is in view of the strong El Niño threat expected to peak in August–September 2026,” said Eddy Paripurna in Surabaya on Sunday (9/8).

Eddy highlighted the situation in Pasuruan Regency, where several villages in Lumbang District experience a water crisis every year. The chronically affected areas include Watulumbung, Karangjati, Cukur Guling, Pancur, and Bulukandang villages.

The former Deputy Regent of Pasuruan argued that the recurrence of the same problem every year demonstrates ineffective governance in handling drought disasters by the local government.

“Every year the community faces the same problem. This shows the local government has not been able to resolve the drought issue thoroughly. If it keeps recurring, there is something wrong with the management,” Eddy asserted.

Eddy further criticised the handling approach that has so far relied solely on distributing clean water via water tankers. He deemed this approach inadequate for facing increasingly extreme climate change.

He called for the state to intervene with policies that resolve the problem at its source, rather than merely “putting out fires” when an emergency occurs. He argued that the capacity of the regency government has been exceeded, making direct intervention from the East Java Provincial Government absolutely necessary.

“The provincial government must step in. There must be serious policies so that the drought problem in several areas of East Java, including Pasuruan, is truly addressed. Do not let the community become a perennial water crisis,” he concluded.