Klaten, Ekuatorial – Emergency status over 34 villagers in Klaten, Central Java, prompted local aid disaster agency to dig up spring which had been covered by volcanic material resulted from the 2010 Mount Merapi erupsion.
Sri Winoto, head of Klaten Natural Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), said that the Bebeng spring, located in Glagaharjo village, Cangkringan sub-district, was the only clean water source for people living in the flanks of Merapi.
“The digging was using heavy equipments to get rid of those materials from Merapi erupsion in 2010,” said Winoto, in Klaten, on Monday (22/9), adding that the spring located four kilometers from the peak.
In addition, his agency would also repair the pipes in the location. “To tackle the drought, Klaten BPBD had given pipes and repair water container in Bumiharjo village of Kemalang sub-district,” he said.
Meanwhile, Head of Klaten District, Sunarna said that 80,000 people were having trouble to access clean water, especially those living on top or the flanks of the volcano.
“From the field report, several of springs have decrease water discharge which makes it hard for people to get clean water,” he said. “It [the drought] also felt by farmers who are getting hard to find water for their paddy fields.”
Dirjo, a farmer of Kenaiban village, Juwiring sub-district, Klaten, said that he among four other farmers have collected money to built new pump wells to water their 16 hectares of paddy fields.
“We collected Rp200,000 (US$ 16) per person to built the well and buy water pipes as the nearest river is getting dry,” he said.
Sutarno, Tegalmulyo village chief, said that villagers have started to buy clean water from private sectors as it would take longer time to receive water supply from the government.
The villagers, he said, have no other choice even though it was too pricey for them.
“Initially, they sold for Rp240,000 (US$20) per 5,000 liter but it has increased to Rp300,000 (US$25) which is too much for villagers but they have no other choices. Even they have to wait for it to be delivered,” he said adding that high price for water had forced several of the villagers to sell their cattle rather than to watch them die of thirst.
Bramantyo[:]