Clean Water Crisis In Banuan NTT Village Is Overcome Thanks To Solar Power Utilization

NTT - A resident of Banuan Village in North Central Timor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) had faced a prolonged clean water crisis. Now the problem is resolved by utilizing the solar-powered water pump system.

"With the support of 10 solar panels that produce 5,500 Watt Peak, this facility is capable of pumping up to 60,000 liters of water per day to the Upper Reservoir Bak, improving the quality of life of the people of Banuan Village," said the Coordinator of the Solar Chapter Project, Yoga Nahak in a statement quoted from ANTARA, Sunday, September 29.

According to him, access to clean water is still a challenge for many regions in Indonesia, especially in remote areas such as East Nusa Tenggara.

The availability of decent water not only affects public health, but also has a direct impact on the economy and welfare of the village.

In some areas, people have to travel long distances to get water, making their daily activities even more difficult. However, with the advancement of technology and collaboration of various parties, this challenge began to be resolved.

Renewable energy-based programs such as the use of solar power have helped address these problems in a sustainable manner.

Villages that had difficulty getting water are now starting to feel big changes. Like residents in Banuan Village in North Central Timor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara.

"They managed to overcome the clean water crisis through mutual cooperation. This activity lasted for five days, 26-30 August 2024 by building a solar water pump facility," he said.

He said that this was a big achievement for villages that for years had to travel 2-4 kilometers to get clean water.

"Thanks to the cooperation between villagers, Solar Chapter, and the company's CSR program, Banuan Village now has a clean water system that combines gravity and solar power pumps," explained Yoga.

Even so, Yoga said that the project had faced many challenges because the distance between water sources and settlements reached 3.3 km, with difficult terrain in the form of cliffs and forests.

According to Yoga, the installation of pipes so far is one of the longest and most difficult in 2024.

Therefore, in support of 10 solar panels that produce 5,500 Watt Peak, this facility is capable of pumping up to 60,000 liters of water per day to the Upper Reservoir Bak.

Yoga added that the project proves that cross-community and sector collaboration can bring major changes.

"The Banuan Village shows that with the right will and support, great challenges can be overcome," he said.

He hopes that the provision of clean water can have a sustainable impact, helping the health and economy of local communities, especially for agriculture.

"The goal is to achieve welfare and clean water will continue to flow for future generations," he added

Banuan Village Head Agustinus Manbait is the person who initiated the application for assistance through a survey from the Solar Chapter in 2023.

We cannot express how grateful we are. Clean water is now no longer a long dream, but a reality that we will enjoy every day," said Agustinus.

Meanwhile, Martinus Nuni, a resident of Banuan Village, said that the entire community came out to pull the existing pipe to the spring and was taken near a residential area about 3 km away.

"It's hard to go there, climbing up and down and down finally the residents are tired," said Martinus.

According to him, cross-sectoral cooperation is very important for the success of this project. Support from major sponsors such as Vinilon in the form of pipeline procurement and also several other sponsors have enabled the provision of high-quality infrastructure, including pipes and solar panels.

Mama Veronika, another villager, also expressed her gratitude because the water began to flow without any problems.

At first we were worried, afraid that the water would not rise. But when the water started to flow, our gratitude was infinite. Praise God, now the water has filled our pump like a pump," Veronika.