Water Supply Dwindles, Bukit Semut Prison in Bangka Faces Clean Water Crisis
The dry season affecting several areas in Bangka Regency has begun to have a serious impact on the availability of clean water at the Class 1 Sungailiat Correctional Facility, better known as Lapas Bukit Semut. The decline in water discharge threatens the daily needs of hundreds of inmates inside the prison.
Head of Lapas Bukit Semut, Dadang Rais Saputro, said the current drought conditions have caused existing water sources to continue shrinking. This poses a major challenge given that the number of residents who must be served reaches 450 people.
“Our inmate population in this prison is 450 people. With the reduced water discharge, it will certainly affect the availability of water for the inmates,” Dadang said on Tuesday (18/8/2026).
The water crisis is exacerbated by the prison’s overcapacity. Dadang explained that Lapas Bukit Semut accommodates the overflow of prisoners from two legal jurisdictions, namely the Bangka District Attorney’s Office and the South Bangka District Attorney’s Office. In fact, the ideal capacity of the prison is only 185 people.
“Our prison capacity is actually only 185 people. Because it covers two regions, the population has even reached 650 people,” he explained.
Nevertheless, the conditional release programme and Justice Collaborator scheme have helped reduce the occupancy figure to 450 people at present. Dadang hopes the prison’s burden will decrease further in 2027, in line with the target for completing the construction of a prison in South Bangka.
To work around the current water shortage, the prison has instructed strict water conservation measures. “Frankly, we are short of water at the moment, both clean water and water for the daily needs of 450 residents,” he added.
Responding to the situation, Bangka Regent Fery Insani acknowledged that the Bukit Semut area is a highland region that is geographically prone to drought during the dry season.
“Every dry season certainly affects the water discharge at the prison because the area is highland,” Fery said.
As a long-term solution, the Bangka Regency Government plans to provide assistance in the form of borehole construction next year, subject to the availability of the regional budget. “We will try, if the budget is available, to help with the construction of a borehole,” he said.
Meanwhile, for urgent short-term handling, Fery suggested that the prison immediately coordinate with PDAM Tirta Bangka for clean water distribution assistance via tanker trucks. “Please convey it to our PDAM, they will supply water for the needs of the residents inside the prison,” he concluded.