Struggling to Deliver Clean Water to Flores Earthquake Victims

Mus Raga hurries from his home towards the main BPBD Nagekelo post in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). This post serves as a storage hub for logistics and essential supplies for those displaced by the magnitude 7.7 earthquake, as well as a strategic location for parking emergency response vehicles.

One such vehicle is a clean water tanker. Every morning, Mus moves briskly towards the yellow water truck belonging to the Ministry of Public Works to warm up its engine.

Mus must also routinely check every clean water order at the BPBD Nagekeo post. He has been dedicated to this profession for over a decade and currently serves as a contract worker at the Nagekeo BPBD office.

Since the earthquake struck Nagekeo on Saturday, 15 August 2026, Mus has remained on high alert, as his role is integral to clean water services. He is frequently confronted by continuous aftershocks, yet he does not retreat despite the fear and panic that shadow him.

Day after day, Mus shows no signs of fatigue. However, three days after the devastating earthquake, he fell ill. The 33-year-old man suffered from body aches, coughing, a cold, and high fever, which forced him to take two days of leave.

“From the start of the earthquake, we began emergency response activities such as delivering clean water to every post. I often feel the tremors while driving the truck,” Mus said when met in Marapokot Village, Aesesa District, Nagekeo, on Tuesday, 1 September 2026.

Mus noted that clean water distribution is dominated by residents of Marapokot, Nangadhero, and Tonggurambang villages, which were the most heavily impacted by the earthquake.

Meanwhile, many residents have evacuated to Mbay, the capital of Nagekeo. Every day, Mus performs between 7 to 8 water deliveries to nearby locations, while deliveries to the furthest locations occur only 2 to 3 times a day.

“The main challenge is the average delivery distance to each village and the high demand for clean water,” Mus explained.

According to Mus, providing clean water services is an act of humanitarian concern and his primary duty. Furthermore, refugees from coastal areas are in desperate need of clean water.

“There is no other way; it is all about humanity and my responsibility in this job,” Mus concluded.