ITB Expert: Cimahi Threatened by Clean Water Crisis Due to Land Exploitation
Kepala Laboratorium Geodesi Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Heri Andreas, has warned that the threat of a clean water crisis in Cimahi City is becoming increasingly real due to massive groundwater exploitation, compounded by predictions of a longer dry season this year. “We are not aware that we have been exploiting groundwater, especially since the evidence is already in front of our eyes. Groundwater suddenly dries up, and it gets worse during the dry season. We must be concerned, as extreme drought is predicted to occur in 2050,” he said in Cimahi on Wednesday.
According to him, the South Cimahi district is the most vulnerable area to drought because several sub-districts already routinely experience difficulty obtaining clean water every dry season. The sub-districts of Utama, Melong, and Leuwigajah are the most affected, forcing residents there to buy clean water to meet their daily needs. “Even outside the dry season, people in South Cimahi experience drought. They have to buy water, and during the dry season they are routinely supplied by water tankers,” he said.
He stated that groundwater exploitation carried out by various parties over the years has caused water reserves in the Greater Bandung area to continuously decline. Heri explained that the aquifer, or water storage layer, at a depth of 50 to 100 metres has been damaged, while deeper layers are beginning to be affected by exploitation. “Then they will drill again to a depth of 200 metres, and that will also be damaged because they are searching for water at deeper points. If this condition continues, it will cause the water crisis in 2050 as predicted,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Cimahi Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) has recorded that at least 312 neighbourhood units (RW) are potentially at risk of drought, based on disaster data and coordination regarding predictions that the peak of the dry season will begin in August. According to the Head of Cimahi BPBD, Fithriandy Kurniawan, the southern Cimahi area remains the region with the most severe drought impact compared to other areas. “The worst drought we recorded was two years ago. The most severe impact is in the southern region, because residents rely on PDAM water and some groundwater,” he said.
As an anticipatory measure, BPBD has prepared a clean water distribution scheme through coordination with the Cimahi Housing and Settlement Area Agency and Perumda Tirta Raharja, should there be reports of clean water shortages from the community. “Operations will be carried out according to conditions; for example, if there are reports of clean water shortages, we will coordinate with relevant parties such as DPKP to supply clean water,” he said.