East Java's Bojonegoro District Reeling Under Water Crisis

Bojonegoro, E Java (Antara) - A total of 5,482 families or 14,548 residents of 27 villages of 10 sub-districts of Bojonegoro in East Java, are facing a water crisis, a regional social affairs official revealed. Dwi Harningsih, the head of the Social Rehabilitation and Welfare Improvement Affairs at the Bojonegoro Social Affairs Office, said here on Monday that her office had received a report on the water crisis that has hit 10 sub-districts in the Bojonegoro district. "Not all the people, who are currently affected by water crisis, have been registered because there are villages asking for water supply without mentioning the number of residents in their villagers," Harningsih stated. She added that her office had begun supplying clean water since September 13 to the water crisis-affected villages with the help of an oil and gas company. "We have supplied water using two tanker trucks with a capacity of 5,000 liters each, along with trucks belonging to the oil and gas company," Harningsih pointed out. The villages affected by the water crisis include Ngraho, Kedewan, Sugihwaras, Gondang, Temayang, Sekar, Sumberrejo, Kedungadem, Ngasem and Ngambon. "We have supplied water to a number of villages in the sub-districts of Ngasem and Ngambon," she added. "We predict that the number of villages facing a water scarcity will still increase because it is possible that some of villages affected by the crisis have not reported to us," Harningsih noted. She further added that based on the report, water scarcity had taken place in the sub-districts of Ngasem (six villages), Sugihwaras (five villages), Ngraho (four villages) and Ngambon (three villages). Data revealed that a water crisis had hit 59 villages in 15 sub-districts in 2012, including the sub-districts of Temayang, Sugihwaras, Kedungadem, Kasiman, Tambakrejo, Kedewan, Dander and others. Some 20,704 families or 81,548 residents had been supplied water. Earlier this month, a total of 28 villages in Lebak district, Banten province, had been placed under the threat of a clean water crisis, as the dry season had begun a few weeks earlier-than-expected, according to the local natural disaster mitigation board (BPBD). "We keep coordinating with the local drinking water company to supply clean water to drought-affected areas," the agency's executive chairman Muklis said on Sunday. The villages are located in the Wanasalam, Sajira, Cipanas, Cilograng and Cimarga sub-districts, he said. Many residents in the sub-districts had run short of clean water after their wells and water sources began drying up, he noted. "I think the drought took place because there was no rain during the past few weeks," he pointed out. Muklis added that the BPBD was cooperating with the Lebak district drinking water company for supplying clean water to the drought-stricken residents. "We are making every effort to help the people facing clean water shortage," he said. He said the people who lived in the drought-affected areas had begun using river water for consuming, bathing and washing, although this could potentially cause diarrhea. "We have asked the people to cook the river water until it boils to prevent communicable diseases," he said. A number of residents of the Cimarga sub-district said they had begun taking water from the Cisimeut river for bathing and washing. "I am used to using river water at the time of a clean water crisis, which is due to drought," Maman, a local resident said. (*)