Some Areas Of Banyumas Experience A Clean Water Crisis

Clean water distribution in Banyumas/ Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - The Head of the Banyumas Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Budi Nugroho said that parts of Banyumas Regency, Central Java were still experiencing a clean water crisis at the beginning of the rainy season in 2024-2025.

"Based on the weather forecast from BMKG, the start of the rainy season in Banyumas Regency in general on the first basis of October 2024, but some areas are still experiencing a clean water crisis," said Budi Nugroho, Sunday, October 6.

According to him, the rain that has started to fall in recent times has not had a significant impact on the availability of groundwater or residents' wells.

Therefore, his party is still distributing clean water assistance to residents who are experiencing a clean water crisis.

"The current frequency of distributing clean water aid is not as much as some time before, because drought-affected areas are starting to decrease along with the arrival of the rainy season," he said.

He said that as of Saturday (5/10) his party had distributed 422 tanks of clean water assistance sourced from the Banyumas Regency Regional Budget which was equivalent to 2,066,000 liters for 13,468 families consisting of 42,079 people in 52 villages and 18 sub-districts.

In addition, his party also distributed clean water assistance to meet the needs of the Banyumas Hospital and the Lumbir District Office.

The distribution of clean water assistance was also carried out by PMI Banyumas Regency as many as 113 tanks or equivalent to 570.000 liters, Citanduy River Basin Center (BBWS) 20 tanks (1.000 liters), Serayu Opak BBWS 92 tanks (475.000 liters), and community organizations and the business world as many as 35 tanks (168,000 liters).

"Thus, until last Saturday the total amount of clean water assistance that has been distributed has reached 682 tanks, which is equivalent to 3,379,000 liters," he said.

His party also plans to distribute clean water assistance to residents in 12 villages on Sunday (6/10) with a total assistance of 21 tanks or the equivalent of 105,000 liters.

He hopes that the distribution of clean water assistance will not experience problems, so that it can be realized as a whole.

In addition to dealing with the clean water crisis, his party also handled 24 incidents of forest and land fires (karhutla) during the 2024 dry season.

He said the area of forest and land fires in the area reached 54.46 hectares and resulted in one death.

"Even though it has entered the rainy season, we still urge the public not to make fires carelessly while in the forest or on land so that forest fires do not occur," said Budi.