East Lombok Gets IDR 151 Billion From World Bank To Overcome Clean Water Crisis

Photo via Antara

JAKARTA - The Regency Government of East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara will receive assistance from the World Bank in 2022 to meet the needs for clean water for local communities.

"The total aid fund provided was IDR 151 billion", said East Lombok Regent M. Sukiman Azmy during a meeting on the impact of drought at the local regent's office, quoted from his statement in Selong, Saturday, August 13, quoted from Antara.

The distribution of funds from the World Bank is carried out in two stages and will begin to be implemented in 2022. The assistance is expected to be able to overcome the problem of clean water in the East Lombok Regency, especially in the southern part which is always affected during the dry season.

"In 2023, dropping (distribution) of clean water will no longer be needed", he said.

Head of the East Lombok Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency (PUPR) Marhaban is optimistic that the clean water supply project with funds from the World Bank can be utilized in January 2023.

"Next year it can be used for the needs of the community", he said.

He acknowledged that there was an obstacle in the plan for the management of the World Bank's financial assistance program, namely the location of the reservoir in a swamp so that the planning was more detailed or had to be readjusted.

"The availability of clean water is one of our focuses in addition to infrastructure such as roads to improve people's welfare", he said.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said that eight districts/cities in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) had a meteorological drought alert status due to the 2022 dry season.

Several sub-districts in East Lombok have started reporting a lack of clean water to the East Lombok Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD). Seven sub-districts that have begun to be affected by drought and have proposed distribution of drinking water for their communities include Jerowaru, Keruak, Sambelia, Suwela, Aikmel, and Lenek.