Thousands of Litres of Water Supplied to Counter Drought in West and Central Java
The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has confirmed that thousands of litres of clean water are being distributed to several villages in Central Java and West Java that have begun to be affected by drought during the transition to the dry season.
Abdul Muhari, Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Centre, stated in Jakarta on Thursday that the distribution of clean water supplies is focused on Cilacap Regency in Central Java, as well as Bogor and Bekasi Regencies in West Java.
“The dry season beginning in these regions has caused the water flow from natural sources to decrease, making it insufficient for the daily needs of the community,” he said.
Abdul explained that one of the largest logistics deliveries of water is directed towards Nagasari Village, Serang Baru District, in Bekasi Regency, which has reportedly experienced zero rainfall for approximately the last month.
In the downstream area of Bekasi Regency, the local Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) has released at least 10,000 litres of clean water to meet the domestic needs of 30 affected households experiencing the water crisis.
Meanwhile, several thousand more litres of water are being distributed by the Bogor Regency BPBD as the flow from surface spring sources in the upstream areas, which the local community relies on, has diminished.
Abdul noted that for the Bogor Regency area, water tanker fleets have gradually distributed 5,000 litres of clean water to at least 127 households in the Gunung Sari Village area, Citeureup District.
In response to these events, the BNPB has urged the public and local governments to implement mitigation measures.
According to Abdul, these include constructing infiltration wells and preparing adequate water tanks as reserves for clean water. Additionally, the community can practice rainwater harvesting by preparing drums or collection containers for daily use.
“Practise conservation and use water wisely according to necessity,” he added.
This drought aligns with updated data from the BMKG, which reported that as of the end of May 2024, the drought-affected area has expanded to 200 seasonal zones (11.83 per cent of land area), identified by brownish colours on the national climate distribution map.
The movement of these dry zones is projected to surge drastically this June, entering 198 new seasonal zones or equivalent to 31.6 per cent of the land area, covering southern DKI Jakarta, parts of Java, and much of Kalimantan.
Entering July, the dry season is expected to spread to an additional 66 seasonal zones, including western Jambi, East Kalimantan, eastern South Kalimantan, most of Sulawesi, and North Maluku.
Conversely, the BMKG has detected local anomalies due to wide topographical effects in seven seasonal zones (0.68 per cent of land area) that are actually above normal or wetter, specifically in Bengkulu, northern and southern Gorontalo, and small parts of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).