Kodim Kudus builds four boreholes to anticipate drought

The Kudus Military District Command (Kodim 0722/Kudus) in Central Java has started building four boreholes in several drought-prone areas to anticipate the impact of the dry season, aiming to meet the community’s clean water needs. “Currently, Kudus Regency has been allocated four borehole construction sites to provide clean water for the community, as well as three pumping irrigation (Irpom) sites to support the agricultural sector,” said Kudus Military District Commander Lieutenant Colonel Arh Yuusufa Allan Andriasie on Monday. The four borehole locations are spread across Panjang Village (Bae District), Getasrabi (Gebog District), and two sites in Berugenjang Village (Undaan). Meanwhile, the pumping irrigation construction is concentrated in three locations in Garung Kidul Village (Kaliwungu). Construction of the boreholes for clean water began on Monday (20/7), while the irrigation pumping work started earlier and has now reached 50 percent completion, all funded by the central government. According to the District Commander, the borehole construction is part of the Indonesian Army’s efforts to help communities face potential water crises during the dry season. The programme is expected to guarantee water availability so that residents do not experience difficulties in obtaining supply. “Most importantly, the water produced will be channelled first to meet the community’s needs,” he said. He explained that besides fulfilling household requirements, the boreholes are also expected to support agricultural activities so that farmers continue to receive irrigation water supply during the planting season. The boreholes built for the community have a 6-inch diameter and are estimated to be capable of serving the clean water needs of more than 350 families. Meanwhile, the pumping irrigation facilities are projected to irrigate up to tens of hectares of farmland. The land used for the borehole construction is a village government asset. After construction, the management of the facilities will be handed over to the village government for sustainable use for the benefit of the community. The borehole construction programme is part of the Army’s Manunggal Air programme, an initiative by the Army Chief of Staff to expand access to clean water for communities in drought-prone or water-crisis areas.