Eight East Java Regencies Declare Drought Emergency as Dry Season Peaks

The East Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD Jatim) has recorded that eight regencies have declared a drought emergency status as the region moves towards the peak of the dry season and clean water availability begins to decline. BPBD Jatim Chief Executive Gatot Soebroto explained that his agency is continuously monitoring the conditions in each affected area regarding their clean water needs. So far, four regions have begun distributing clean water to affected communities using their respective local government budgets. The four regions are Bondowoso, Probolinggo, Bojonegoro, and Pasuruan Regencies. “For the time being, they are carrying out clean water distribution using their own budget allocations. So we have not yet issued clean water distribution assistance,” Gatot stated in Surabaya on Thursday. Gatot explained that the East Java Provincial Government will only step in to distribute clean water if the affected regions no longer have budget allocations for these needs. “From the provincial government, in principle, if the regency or city budget has been exhausted, then we will support the water distribution,” he said. Meanwhile, according to data compiled by BPBD Jatim, clean water distribution has reached 14 sub-districts, 16 villages, and 20 hamlets with a total of 34 delivery trips, amounting to approximately 184,000 litres of water. Bondowoso Regency is the area with the largest distribution, covering 12 sub-districts, 14 villages, and 18 hamlets with a total of 31 trips or 155,000 litres of clean water. Probolinggo Regency has distributed 5,000 litres, Bojonegoro 9,000 litres, and Pasuruan 15,000 litres. In addition to preparing a budget for clean water, Gatot mentioned that the East Java Provincial Government is also providing supporting equipment to handle the impacts of drought, such as water tanks, tarpaulins, and jerry cans, as was done in previous years. BPBD Jatim confirmed that coordination with local governments is ongoing to anticipate the widening impact of drought during the dry season. “Besides water, we are also preparing tanks, tarpaulins, and jerry cans like in previous years. But so far, each regency and city is still capable of distributing clean water using their own budgets,” he clarified.