Natural spring becomes lifeline for Mekarsari residents amid Cilegon drought
Amid a water crisis caused by a prolonged dry season, residents of Kampung Gunung Batur, Mekarsari Village, Cilegon City, Banten, are relying on a natural spring in the Sumur Bendung area to survive and meet their daily domestic needs. The clean water flowing from crevices in the mountain rock is used for cooking, drinking, bathing and washing.
One resident, Herlina (30), said on Wednesday that the water shortage has worsened over the past month due to the absence of rainfall, making the spring located within the forest area the sole source of hope for the local community. She admitted to struggling daily to meet her family’s basic needs, undertaking a difficult journey each day. They are forced to walk along a footpath of approximately one kilometre to reach the spring to obtain clean water.
“Every day we have to walk about one kilometre into the forest. This is our only water source when drought strikes like now,” she said. “If this spring did not exist, we would not know where else to find water. The water from this mountain is very fresh.”
To ensure the use of the water source remains equitable and sufficient, local residents have taken the initiative to implement an orderly rota system over a full 24-hour period. “We queue from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m., so the location is full day and night. Each day is limited to just seven or eight people who get a turn. During the day, we can get at most 12 gallons, but at night it can be up to 14 gallons because the weather is no longer hot,” she explained.
“Clean water aid from the government has only come in about twice so far. Fortunately, this natural spring continues to flow even though its discharge has decreased due to the lack of rain,” she added.
For the residents of Gunung Batur, the hard rock-dominated geographical structure makes drilling wells extremely difficult. Therefore, the preservation of the natural spring in the hills is the main key to the community’s resilience in facing the impacts of seasonal drought, as they hope for rain to soon fall and replenish their natural storage ponds.