Planned To Face Drought, Central Java Pati Regency Government Prepares A Budget Of IDR 500 Million

Acting Regent Pati Henggar Budi Anggoro. (ANTARA/HO-Humas Pati Regency Government.)

JAKARTA - The Pati Regency Government (Pemkab) in Central Java (Central Java) has prepared a budget for disasters of IDR 500 million. The funds include anticipation of the dry season considering that Pati has the potential to experience drought.

"Based on BMKG predictions, the dry season will start in May 2024 and peak in July 2024. However, because of the El Nino phenomenon, it does not occur, although the dry season still often rains, the weather is in the wet dry season," said Head of the Daily Executive of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Pati Martinus Budi Prasetyo in Pati, Wednesday.

However, he said, currently there is one village, namely Addagung Village, Tambakromo District, which has proposed assistance for the distribution of clean water because its citizens experience drought.

Until now, he said, BPBD Pati had distributed 10 tank trucks with a capacity of 5,000 liters.

"Of course, other parties also care, such as PMI and volunteers because in Pati there are also volunteers who care about residents affected by drought," he said.

Even if there are other villages that experience drought, BPBD is also ready to distribute clean water.

Experience in 2023, said Budi, the villages affected by drought reached 94 villages spread across 10 sub-districts. Including in Donorejo Village, Tayu District, which still has quite a lot of vegetation.

To anticipate the impact of the dry season, local villages have also built deep wells and prepared reservoirs at a number of points.

Acting Regent Pati Henggar Budi Anggoro ensured that Pati Regency was better prepared for the dry season, because it was supported by sufficient budget and careful preparation, as well as factors of the dry type that did not cause a significant drought impact.

"For now, the largest water supply in Pati Regency is in the Gembong Reservoir with a water volume of 90 percent. Hopefully this year's dry season is not as bad as last year's dry season which was only completed at the end of November, causing the water supply in the Gembong Reservoir to run out," he said.

In addition, said Henggar, there is also a Gunung Rowo Reservoir with a 60 percent water volume as water reserves in the northern area.

He also appreciated the assistance from many parties who participated in dealing with drought in the Pati Regency area. Meanwhile, steps to reduce the impact of the dry season, one of which is by creating water catchment areas in flood-prone areas so that the water supply can reduce water discharge during floods and as water reserves during the dry season.