Natuna Regency Government distributes clean water to residents affected by drought
The Natuna Regency Government in the Riau Islands Province is distributing free clean water assistance to residents affected by drought caused by the dry season that has hit a number of areas in the region.
Natuna Regent Cen Sui Lan said on Sunday that the provision of clean water was carried out as a form of local government attention to the basic needs of the community, particularly residents experiencing difficulty obtaining water for daily needs during the dry season.
According to her, the lack of rainfall in recent times has caused a number of areas in Natuna to experience drought. The condition has also affected water sources managed by the regional company to meet community needs because water discharge has declined.
The distribution of clean water is carried out by the Regional Public Company (Perumda) for Drinking Water Tirta Nusa Natuna. Distribution is prioritised for communities in drought-affected areas experiencing limited clean water sources.
“Our current solution is to distribute water to affected communities using tanker trucks,” she said.
Cen Sui Lan said the local government will continue to monitor water availability conditions in a number of areas in Natuna. The measure is taken to identify areas requiring assistance and to ensure clean water distribution can be carried out in a targeted manner.
The Natuna Regency Government has also urged the public to use water wisely during the dry season. Water conservation is considered important so that remaining water sources can be used to meet community needs until weather conditions return to normal.
“We also urge people not to clear land by burning or carry out activities that could cause fires,” she said.
Meanwhile, Director of the Natuna Drinking Water Company Zaharuddin said the absence of rain for two weeks has caused storage volumes and water discharge to decline.
The Natuna Drinking Water Company recorded that the water source at its reservoir in Gunung Ranai has experienced a significant decline of around 30 percent. Meanwhile, water discharge at Bukit Berangin is at around 60 percent.
“We carry out distribution using tanker trucks to areas experiencing drought,” he said.
He explained that water distribution is carried out in rotation. Therefore, residents are urged to prepare containers capable of holding water to meet their needs for five days.
He also reminded residents to use the water provided wisely. This is because the number of affected residents is quite large, so repeated distribution processes require time.
Residents experiencing difficulty obtaining water, he said, can submit complaints to the company. Every report received will be followed up by utilising available facilities and infrastructure.
“Water distribution is carried out in rotation and based on queues because we only have two tanker truck units,” he said.