Purwokerto, C Java (ANTARA) - Some 3,150 families in 12 villages in Banyumas District, Central Java Province, are reeling from a clean water crisis resulting from the devastating drought, the district's Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) confirmed here on Friday.
In dealing with the scarcity of clean water amid this year's dry season, the BPBD has prepared one thousand water tanks and regularly distributed clean water supplies to meet the requirement of some 10,876 people, Acting Head of Banyumas' BPBD Ariono Poerwanto stated.
Karanganyar Village in Patikraja Sub-district; villages of Nusadadi and Karanggendang in Sumpiuh Sub-district, as well as the villages of Kediri and Tamansari in Karanglewas Sub-district are among the villages in nine sub-districts ravaged by the clean water crisis.
"We have distributed clean water supplies to the villagers affected by this devastating drought," he stated.
In 2018, the prolonged drought had also ravaged the sub-districts of Sumpiuh, Banyumas, Somagede, Kalibagor, Cilongok, Purwojati, Kebasen, and Karanglewas.
Related news: Banyumas readies tank trucks to anticipate drought
The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has forecast that this year's drought will likely peak in August and September, for which those living in all affected areas should maintain vigil to deal with its impact.
The devastating and protracted drought afflicting several parts of Indonesia has not just led to a scarcity of clean water and a deterioration in the air quality but it has also triggered potential recurrence of bush and forest fires in certain provinces.
In Aceh Province, for instance, fire scorched 20 hectares of peatland in two villages of Nagan Raya District on Thursday afternoon. The dry season has mired fire-extinguishing efforts, Nagan Raya Disaster Mitigation Agency's (BPBD's) Acting Head Hamidi revealed.
In a bid to prevent the fire, gutting certain peatland areas in Cot Mue Village in Tadu Raya Sub-district and Kuala Tripa Village in Tripa Makmur Sub-district, from further worsening, BPBD workers had built canal blockings, he remarked.
In South Sumatra Province, the Indonesian military partook in the efforts by regularly holding public awareness campaigns on how to prevent potential recurrence of bush and forest fires in several districts.
The campaigns highlighting the importance of taking precautionary measures have been conducted in districts, such as Banyuasin and Ogan Komering Ilir, according to Chief of the 044/Garuda Dempo Military Resort Command Major Binsar J. Simanjuntak.
Related news: Drought paralyses 17 villages in Cilacap, Central Java
