Pamekasan Regency Government Proposes Assistance To Provincial Government For Drought Handling

A number of officers distributed clean water aid in Pamekasan, East Java. (ANTARA/HO-Parekasan Regency Government)

PAMEKASAN - The Pamekasan Regency Government (Pemkab) has proposed budget assistance for the distribution of clean water to the Provincial Government (Pemprov) of East Java, to overcome drought and lack of clean water that hit 77 villages in the region.

According to the Secretary of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Pamekasan Regency, Akhmad Dhofirhal was carried out because the budget for clean water distribution assistance in the Pamekasan Regency Regional Budget was no longer available.

"Therefore, we have stopped the distribution of clean water aid to villages affected by drought, because we no longer have a budget. We are still submitting an application to the East Java Provincial Government so that distribution can be continued," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, September 29.

The distribution of clean water aid to drought-hit villages in Pamekasan Regency began on August 7, 2023 and was launched directly by the Regent of Pamekasan at that time, Baddrut Tamam.

This assistance program is named Besti Berdering, which stands for the Regent of the Eradication of Dry Villages.

A month later, on September 19, 2023, the distribution of aid was stopped, because the budget for the distribution of clean water assistance in the Pamekasan Regency Government APBD was vacant after the 2023 Revised APBD experienced a deficit of IDR 58 billion.

"Therefore, we are coordinating with the East Java Provincial Government to apply for budget assistance so that residents who experience drought and lack clean water can be helped," he said.

According to BPBD data from the Pamekasan Regency Government, the number of villages experiencing drought and lack of clean water in this dry season is 77 villages with a total of 321 hamlets spread across 11 sub-districts.

Of the 77 villages, 28 villages experienced critical dryness and as many as 49 other villages experienced rare dryness.

He explained that what is meant by critical dryness is that if the water supply in the hamlet reaches more than 10 liters per person per day and the distance traveled by the community to get clean water availability as far as 3 kilometers or even more.

This is meant by rare dryness, if the water requirement in the hamlet is just under 10 liters per person, per day. The distance from residents' homes to the nearest spring, is about 0.5 kilometers to 3 kilometers.