The Impact Of Garut Community Drought Lacks Clean Water

Photo Illustration: Antara

JAKARTA - The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Garut Regency, West Java is trying to overcome the community's difficulties in getting clean water as a result of the dry season by distributing it to affected areas from nearby water sources.

"Reports from residents in Cibalong and Malangbong sub-districts are asking for water supply, because residents need it, and we respond by relying on the closest water source first," said Garut Regency BPBD Chief Executive Total Anwar Saefuloh, Sunday, August 25.

He said the drought in the dry season had not yet massively hit the Garut area, so far there have only been two sub-districts that have reported clean water difficulties.

This condition, he continued, had immediately received treatment from local governments and local village and sub-district governments by utilizing the closest water sources that still had water to be distributed to other areas.

"This is not yet massive, only two sub-districts have requested a supply of clean water, and we will respond by utilizing local water sources," he said.

He conveyed that this year's dry conditions did not have a broad impact compared to the previous year, several places were reported to be still available with water sources that had been used by the community for their daily needs.

The Garut Regency Government, he said, is to distribute clean water directly from BPBD and from other agencies, such as the Fire Department and regional drinking water companies (PDAM), and must first be declared emergency response.

"We first condition it by looking for the closest water source in the local area, the source around first, because from here to Cibalong, we have to enter the emergency response, then supply it," he said.

He said that to deal with the dry disaster, the Garut Regency Government had prepared a number of water tankers that were ready to help the community if they needed clean water for consumption or other needs.

He hopes that this year's dry season will not have a broad impact on the community, so that it will be difficult for clean water. Based on the forecast that the BMKG will start to rain in September 2024, indicating that the dry season will only take a while.

"This (drought) is a short time, later in September we will rain again, only two months we will dry, BMKG said it will rain again in September," he said.