Regional Secretary Says Unexpected Expenditure 2023 Garut Regency Government Can Be Used To Overcome Drought Disasters

A number of residents lined up to get clean water supplied by PMI Garut Regency, West Java, some time ago. (ANTARA/HO-PMI Garut)

JAKARTA - The Garut Regency Government (Pemkab) stated that unexpected spending (BTT) in 2023 could be used to deal with drought.

The Regional Secretary (Sekda) of the Garut Regency Government, Nurdin Yana, said that the 2023 BTT could be used to help people with clean water difficulties or unproductive agricultural land due to the dry season in Garut.

"Actually, from the side, let's say the use of funds whose orientation is from BTT, we can do it, because they meet the requirements (disaster determination)," he said in Garut, West Java, Monday, August 28, which was confiscated by Antara.

He said the policy could use BTT after a statement from the Garut Regent as a regional leader about the dry season this year and causing drought as a disaster.

The policy on drought as a disaster, he continued, was also carried out by the West Java Provincial Government, so there are similarities between provinces and districts to be able to issue BTT in dealing with drought.

"In the framework of dealing with drought, we have issued a regent's statement that this drought has also been determined by the Regent, then this is also the same thing for the province," he said.

He said that so far, when there was a drought, such as the problem of providing clean water, the West Java Provincial Government promised to deal with it, sometimes it was hampered by policy problems not being designated as a disaster.

"Today there are provinces and we have connected, so God willing, when the province will provide (regulition) there is also a legal basis for that stipulation," he said.

He explained that the problem of the drought disaster was divided into two things, namely the provision of clean water needs for the community, then water insurance for the needs of the agricultural sector which was hit by drought.

The Garut Regency Government, he said, has many parties involved to help meet the needs of clean water, namely PDAM, the fire service, PMI, TNI, and Polri who are ready to deploy water tank personnel and vehicles to plunge into locations affected by drought.

"At that time there was no water source, so we brought it through PDAM, we ordered them to enter to provide clean water supply through the tanks we have," he said.

He conveyed that the Garut Regency Government not only distributes clean water using water tankers, but prepares wells that are considered to be used by the community to meet household and agricultural needs.

If there is already a water source, he said, then the community can connect it to the location closest to the residential area so that people can use the water for their daily needs.

"Actually, through the well, when the well is built, we give it to them, it's just a connection, and this has actually been initiated by friends from PUPR," he said.