Klaten Regent Dispatches Clean Water Aid to Three Drought-Stricken Villages on Mount Merapi Slopes

Areas on the slopes of Mount Merapi in Kemalang District, Klaten Regency, Central Java, are now beginning to experience drought due to the dry season. To address this, the Klaten Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) has prepared 1,000 tanks of clean water aid this year. Klaten Regent Hamenang Wajar Ismoyo stated this to reporters at the Klaten Regency Government Pendapa after dispatching clean water aid to drought-affected areas on the slopes of Mount Merapi on Monday (15/6). The first round of clean water distribution to the Kemalang District area is to fulfil requests from residents of Tlogowatu, Tegalmulyo, and Kendalsari villages. Today’s clean water aid for these three villages totals 15 tanks. Meanwhile, other villages with drought potential during this dry season, such as Sidorejo Village, have also submitted requests for clean water distribution. These aid requests will be fulfilled in the next distribution activity. “So, the implementation of clean water distribution to the Mount Merapi slope area is based on requests. For this purpose, BPBD Klaten has prepared 1,000 tanks of clean water aid this year with a budget of approximately Rp500 million from the 2026 Regional Budget,” he explained. Regarding a permanent solution to overcome drought in the mountain slope area, namely by constructing deep wells, this has been proposed and implemented. However, it failed because the expected water did not emerge from the well. “The BPBD Klaten clean water distribution activity, which is targeted at 1,000 tanks this year, is expected to run smoothly and meet the clean water needs of residents living on the slopes of Mount Merapi,” said the Klaten Regent. Head of BPBD Klaten, Syahruna, added that ahead of this dry season, the rapid reaction team has conducted assessments of drought potential in several areas of Klaten Regency, such as in Kemalang, Jatinom, and Karangnongko districts. “For this initial clean water distribution, we are focusing on Kemalang. Because that area has already submitted requests, namely from Tegalmulyo, Tlogowatu, and Kendalsari villages. For today, the distribution activity to these three villages totals 15 tanks,” he said.