Residents Affected By Kemarau In Cilacap Capai 7,508 People, BPPD Urges To Save Water

CILACAP - Residents affected by the dry season in Cilacap Regency, Central Java have reached 2,027 families consisting of 7,508 people according to data from the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD).

"The dry impact experienced by residents is in the form of a clean water crisis, both which wells or other water sources dry up and the well water is still there but is eroded by sea water, so it is not suitable for consumption," said Head of BPBD Cilacap Regency Bayu Prajara in Cilacap, quoted from Antara, Saturday, July 27.

He admitted that the number of residents experiencing a clean water crisis in Cilacap tends to increase even though the areas affected by the dry season are currently still as many as 10 villages in 6 sub-districts, namely Bojong and Ujungmanik Villages (Kawunganten District).

Furthermore, the villages of Cimrutu, Rawapu, and Bulupayung (Patimuan District), Gintungreja and Karanggintung (Gandrungmangu), Rawajaya (Bantarsari), Karangkemiri Jeruklegi), and Panikel (Kampunglaut).

He said his party was committed to continuing to distribute clean water assistance sourced from the Cilacap Regency APBD in 2024 for residents who needed clean water.

"The Cilacap Regency Government, through the 2024 APBD, has allocated a budget of Rp. 200 million for the distribution of clean water aid for people experiencing a clean water crisis," he said accompanied by the Head of Emergency and Logistics Division of the Cilacap Regency BPBD Budi Setyawan.

He estimates that the areas experiencing a clean water crisis in Cilacap in the dry season in 2024 will not be as many as in 2023 which will reach 86 villages in 20 sub-districts, although based on mapping there are 105 villages in 20 sub-districts prone to a clean water crisis.

According to him, this was due to the expansion of the Tirta Wijaya Cilacap Regional Public Company (Perumdam) network and the assistance of drilling wells in a number of areas.

"However, we continue to distribute clean water assistance to people in need, such as on Friday (26/7) yesterday we distributed aid to residents of Cimrutu, Rawapu, and Bulupayung Villages, each with 1 tank," said Bayu.

Meanwhile, the Head of Emergency and Logistics Division of the Cilacap Regency BPBD, Budi Setyawan, said that until Friday (26/7) his party had distributed 170,000 liters of clean water assistance or the equivalent of 34 tanks for residents in the 10 villages.

He appealed to residents who received clean water assistance and residents whose well water was still suitable for consumption to be frugal in using water, because based on the forecast of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Cilacap is currently entering the peak of the dry season.

"For village governments whose residents are experiencing a clean water crisis, please submit a letter of request for assistance to the Cilacap Regency Government and we will immediately distribute it after there is a request for assistance," he said.