Gunungkidul residents 'itching' for rain as lake is only source of water
Gunungkidul residents 'itching' for rain as lake is only source of water
Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post/Gunungkidul
Hundreds of residents of Gunungkidul regency, Yogyakarta
province, are suffering from skin diseases thought to have been
brought on by the dry season.
The dry season, which began in the regency several months
ago, has caused severe water shortages, especially in Panggang
and Purwosari districts, leading to an outbreak of skin diseases
in the regency.
Darji Purwanto, 56, a resident of Giripurwo subdistrict,
Panggang district, said on Thursday many residents were suffering
from itchy skin and rashes.
The outbreak began after residents started bathing and washing
their clothes in Lake Thowet.
The lake, located in Blimbing hamlet, in the neighboring
subdistrict of Girisekar, measures a total of 1.8 hectares.
"Wells have already dried up, so residents are relying on the
lake for bathing and laundry purposes," he said.
Darji said residents had no other options even though they
were aware that the water in the lake was not clean.
Besides bathing and washing their clothes, some residents also
use the lake to bathe their cattle.
Darji said his family and other residents of Giripurwo
subdistrict could not afford to buy clean water for bathing and
laundry. They can only afford to buy water for cooking. Some
5,000 liters of clean water costs Rp 100,000 (US$10.60).
Warna Utama, another Giripurwo resident, said besides
residents of Giripurwo and Girisekar, residents from neighboring
subdistricts were also making use of the lake's water.
"I estimate that hundreds of residents of Panggang and
Purwosari districts have been suffering from skin-related
diseases over the last few weeks," he said.
Non-governmental organization activist Agung Garyanto called
on residents to help conserve the lake and preserve its
ecosystem.
If people conserve the lake it will benefit the environment
and the residents themselves, said Agung, the director of
Nawakamal, an NGO dealing with the conservation of lakes in
Gunungkidul regency.
He said Lake Thowet had been polluted with various chemical
substances, including soap, shampoo and fertilizer.
"People should help conserve the lake for their own benefit.
Some steps that they could take, for example, would be not to
throw waste in the lake or wash their cattle in it," he said.