Indonesia: Drought affecting 20 districts, towns in West Java

Antara 6 Aug 19;

We have supplied more than 1.7 million liters of clean water to the families facing water scarcity
Bandung, W Java (ANTARA) - The West Java Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) reported Tuesday that this year's protracted drought has affected 20 districts and towns leaving 166,957 families facing water scarcity. Among the affected areas were located in the cities of Bogor and Cirebon as well as the districts of Bekasi, Bogor, Karawang, Bandung Barat, Sumedang, Tasikmalaya, Bandung, Sukabumi, Purwakarta, Subang, and Kuningan, head of the agency's rehabilitation and reconstruction unit, Budi Budiman Wahyu, said.

The total number of affected districts and towns increased from 13 on July 17 to 20 on August 5, he said, adding that the drought had threatened 20,621 hectares of agricultural land and left 166,957 families facing water scarcity.

"We have supplied more than 1.7 million liters of clean water to the families facing water scarcity," he said.

He still reviewed a plan to declare a drought as proposed by the BPBD because related authorities had offered concrete solutions to those affected, West Java Governor M. Ridwan Kamil said.

The heads of districts and cities had offered water supplies for groups of farmers in their respective areas while the city or district-own tap water companies (PDAMs) had sent trucks with clean water for the needy.

"We are collaborating with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) to study the possibility of conducting weather modifications. We have been doing all these breakthroughs before coming up with the drought emergency status," he said.

Indonesia is bracing for a devastating and protracted drought this year, according to the warning from the BMKG, with the condition likely to peak in August and September.

Those residing in affected areas should be vigilant in dealing with the impact of this drought that has been affecting several parts of the country.

The drought has resulted in the scarcity of clean water and deterioration in air quality, while certain provinces in the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan are bracing for a potential recurrence of bush and forest fires.

Reporter: Ajat Sudrajat, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto