Gili Residents Have Been In The Clean Water Crisis For A Month

Residents transport gallons to buy clean water from the mainland at a price of IDR 10,000 per gallon in Gili Meno, North Lombok, NTB, Thursday (20/6/2024). (ANTARA/HO-GHA)

MATARAM - Residents living in Gili Meno, North Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara were revealed to have experienced a clean water crisis for 29 days starting May 22, 2024.

Masrun, Head of Gili Meno Hamlet, said that the clean water crisis is now increasingly felt in the community because it has a considerable impact on the sustainability of the economy in the gili.

"So, our current condition is getting more difficult, we need a clear solution," said Masrun as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, June 20.

He said Gili Meno's economic wheels were very dependent on progress in the tourism sector. The large number of tourist visits during this month's period is the hope that the people of Gili Meno will reap profits.

However, the 29-day water crisis in Gili Meno has resulted in this hope dashing. People are no longer thinking about profit, but how to survive in the midst of a small island without clean water.

"Just imagine, many people here have started to lose their livestock, many cows have died due to lack of water," he said.

Due to this impact, he hopes that the local government will immediately take steps to overcome the clean water crisis in Gili Meno.

If this is not handled quickly, Masrun is worried that a more severe impact will arise.

Prior to the crisis, Gili Meno received a supply of clean water from a private company that utilizes groundwater, namely PT Berkah Air Laut (BAL). However, PT BAL is currently undergoing legal proceedings on suspicion of using groundwater to supply clean water in the gili area illegally.

Therefore, the clean water production facility from PT BAL in collaboration with PT Gerbang NTB Emas (GNE) is now under the control of the confiscation of the court.

The local government has previously provided a solution by presenting PT Tiara Cipta Nirwana (TCN) as a replacement for PT BAL. The private company based in Bali manages the provision of clean water in the gili area in collaboration with PDAM Amerta Dayan Gunung, North Lombok Regency.

The company provides clean water from sea water distillation by applying the "Sea Water Reverse Osmosis" (SWRO) method. stopping the distribution of clean water to Gili Meno.

However, the government's efforts were rejected by Gili Meno residents based on concerns about environmental damage that emerged from the distillation method of PT TCN, as happened in Gili Trawangan.

In addition, the selling price of clean water offered by PT TCN is also much more expensive than the price offered by PT BAL.

Its citizens are now surviving in the midst of a clean water crisis by relying on purchases from the opposite area, namely clean water imported from Bangsal Port, North Lombok Regency which sells clean water at a price of IDR 10,000 per gallon.

"I just ran out 5 gallons a day, how much money have we spent. What if we go up, let's go up later?" said Masrun.

Acting (Pj) Regional Secretary of NTB, Ibnu Salim previously paid attention to the issue of the clean water crisis that occurred in the Gili Tramena National Tourism Strategic Area (KSPN), especially Gili Meno, North Lombok Regency, due to legal problems.

"Water is a basic need, so there must be a way out immediately. We must sit down together with related parties and I also report this to the Acting Governor," he said.