Some areas in Bogor lacking water

JAKARTA (JP): Some areas in Bogor are lacking water due to a decline in rainfall since the end of March.

Residents of Cimanggu said they had difficulty in getting water from their wells.

"We reserve water for drinking. We only bathe when it rains," Akub, a resident, said.

Another resident, Waluyo, said water at his house was dirty and mixed with mud.

"We wait for the dirt in the water to settle before using it for drinking and cooking," he said.

Asnawi, another resident, said he had to travel 40 kilometers to his son's house to get water.

He said he tried to find someone to deepen his well but failed, because all well drillers had been hired by other residents.

Bogor mayoralty spokesman Hari Harsono said he had yet to receive a report about the lack of water in Cimanggu or in other areas.

Meanwhile, chief of forecasting services at the Meteorological and Geophysical Agency, Paulus Agus Winarso, said the dry season would end in October.

"This is the peak of the dry season," he said. Residents should try to manage remaining water as best as possible, Paulus said. The climate made it impossible to make artificial rain, he added. (24/jun)