Wells had dried up, thereby leaving the villagers with no choice but to source water from the Cihoe River, Misra, 45, a resident of Ridhogalih, stated here on Thursday.
"Fortunately, the river is merely 300 meters away. However, the issue is why it has to be this way? We have to carry water to fill our bathroom tubs," she noted.
Several villages in Cibarusah have been hit constantly by drought during the dry season. In 2017, drought had affected a total of 2,659 families.
Sardi, 27, residing in Ridhomanah, noted that no water was available in his home since June 21, 2019. He admitted to currently having to collect water from the river daily.
The authorities have distributed clean water since last week. One truck containing five thousand liters of clean water is dispatched to one kampung daily. However, this does not suffice, as it can supply water to only some 120-250 families.
Uju, secretary of the Bekasi district administration, remarked that several retention basins will be built in Cibarusah to collect water during the rainy season and will be stored for use during the dry season.
A study on the construction of retention basins will be conducted in 2020, and the development will be implemented in 2021, he added.
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Pradita KS, Fardah
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
