Banten province is experiencing long drought this year, making its people in some areas especially those living in the western coast in dire need of clean water.

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) - The long dry season is still affecting most of the people living in the western coast of Indonesia’s Pandeglang district, Banten province.

In its press release made available for Indonesia Window on Tuesday here, the Alquran Waqf Agency, or known as BWA, said as a result of the long dry season, many rice fields in Banten province have dried up, making it difficult to plant rice and drastically reducing the farmers' income.

It said many of the farmers have temporarily switched their profession to become unskilled laborers in the city to earn money in support of their families.

In addition to farmers who cannot work on rice fields for the time being, what the community feels from this year's long dry season is that the groundwater discharge that they previously used as a source of wells at their homes can now no longer distribute water, making many of them difficult to access clean water that they usually use for daily needs.

For people who live not far from the beach, the well water they have still has reserves but with a very brackish taste, making it not suitable for consumption.

If people want to get water for consumption, many of them have to go long distances to dig wells located in rice fields, but for those who have enough money, they usually buy water from refillable bottled water depots.

From the problems that arise, many of them expect a free supply of clean water to fulfill their daily consumption needs.

In the early stages, at the end of September 2023, the BWA team through the Humanitarian Alms program was present to help the community, especially in the west coast of Pandeglang district to supply clean water carried by a water tank with a capacity of 6,000 liters.

At that time, only four villages in three sub-districts, including Patia, Cikeusik, and Panimbang, were reached.

From the results of the distribution of clean water assistance in the early stages, the team found that there were still quite a number of areas around the west coast of Pandeglang that still needed clean water.

At the end of October 2023, the BWA team again realized the program of clean water assistance for people affected by drought.

In the second phase, the team provided clean water assistance for eight villages in five sub-districts, including Pagelaran, Sukaresmi, Sobang, Picung, and Patia.

“Just like in the first phase, we also brought a water tank with a capacity of 6,000 liters and a temporary container made of 6mx4m tarpaulin. We chose to use temporary tanks to make the process of distributing water from the tanker truck run faster and the community can easily fill the water in each container they bring," the team said.

The response from the action carried out by BWA was welcomed by the residents. Many of them were happy for the clean water assistance they received, while praying for the team and donors involved in the program.

One of the residents in Kubangkampil village, on behalf of his community, expressed his gratitude for what he is currently experiencing.

"Currently our residents are in dire need of clean water because for several months and almost a year we have experienced a long drought. We really appreciate the BWA team who has distributed water to our village, hopefully the same thing can be done again in other areas in Kubangkampil village," said Nurlina Wati, a resident of Kubangkampil village, Sukaresmi sub-district, Pandeglang district.

The same thing was also conveyed by one of the residents in a different sub-district from the previous location. He was very happy for the arrival of the BWA team that brought a clean water tank truck that would later be distributed to residents.

"The people in Buraluk village before getting clean water assistance, they got water from rivers whose water was murky because of the long drought. After the arrival of clean water from BWA, the people here are very happy and their need for clean water is fulfilled," said Juni Jaharudin, a resident of Baraluk hamlet, Cimoyan village, Patia sub-district, Pandeglang district.

Some areas in Pandeglang have been showered with rain, especially in the city, but the shower has not yet fallen on the west coast of Pandeglang or south Pandeglang.

The BWA team received information from the Pandeglang district administration through Decree NUMBER 300.2.3/Kep.313-Huk/2023 issued by the Pandeglang district head regarding the status of Emergency Preparedness for Drought Natural Disaster on October 19-23, 2023.

The impact of the El Nino phenomenon which makes the dry season longer, also has an impact on several areas in Pandeglang district, Banten province, which is experiencing extreme drought.

The agency again invites donors to help the people who still have difficulty accessing clean water to fulfill their daily needs. Through the BWA Humanitarian Alms program, donors can channel their best alms.

Reporting by Indonesia Window