UGM Encourages Optimization Of Pamsimas In The Dry Season

Illustrations - A number of children are looking for fish in Telaga Lebak which has started to dry up, Kemiri, Tanjungsari, Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta. (ANTARA PHOTO)

The Center for Natural Disaster Studies (PSBA) Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) encourages the optimization of the Community-Based Water Supply and Sanitation Program (Pamsimas) for the 2023 dry season.

PSBA chief UGM Djati Mardiatno said the Pamsimas program is most likely than promoting the rainwater harvest movement because it has now entered the dry season.

"Actually, the most likely thing is to optimize the Pamsimas program, but it depends on the government's readiness and initiative from the community," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, April 28.

According to him, the Pamsimas program must be ensured to reach all hamlets in DIY, especially those that have been subscribed to drought during the dry season.

"Moreover, this year's dryness is estimated to be drier than in previous years," said Djati.

Through this program, the raw water source centers in each region will be distributed to the reservoir in the kelurahan and then distributed through pipes connected to residents' homes.

"The distribution system to his homes will be able to work together to be financed with the community," he said.

According to Djati, drought disasters that occur almost every year are often not anticipated by the public with adequate water storage management.

A number of areas in DIY have the potential for drought during the dry season, including Rongkop and Tepus sub-districts, Gunungkidul Regency; Dlingo District, Bantul Regency; Panjatan District, Kulon Progo Regency; and Prambanan District, Sleman Regency.

DIY BPBD Operations Control Center (Pusdalops) Manager Lilik Andi Aryanto said the potential for drought in DIY this year needs to be anticipated considering that the dry season is no longer as wet as in previous years.

In addition to using water wisely, Lilik also appealed to all residents living in potential drought areas to be able to harvest rainwater by making reservoirs or reservoirs and infiltration wells.

Head of the Yogyakarta BMKG Climatology Station, Reni Kraningtyas, said that based on the conditions of the atmosphere-sea dynamics, it is predicted that the start of the 2023 dry season in DIY will occur in April, the second basis, which includes a small part of western Sleman Regency, a small part of western Bantul Regency, and eastern Kulon Progo Regency.

Next, April basis III includes the western and southern Kulon Progo Regencies, followed by May basis I covering northern Kulon Progo Regency, mostly Sleman Regency and most Bantul and Gunungkidul Regencies.

The peak of the 2023 dry season in DIY is predicted to take place between July and August 2023.

"We urge local governments and the wider community to be more prepared and anticipatory about the impact of the 2023 dry season which is predicted to be drier than the previous year," he said.