"So far, the West Java provincial government and relevant stakeholders have distributed 16,082,460 liters of clean water to meet the needs of residents affected by drought," head of the Communication and Information Office of West Java, Ika Mardiah, informed here on Friday.
To distribute the clean water, she said, the West Java Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) worked with the district- and city-level BPBDs and relevant institutions, including the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) and regional tap water companies (PDAM).
The more than 16 million liters of water has been distributed to 302,665 families in 24 districts and cities in West Java that have been affected by the drought caused by the El Nino phenomenon, she added.
"Based on data of West Java BPBD, from January to October 13, 2023, regions affected by drought have reached 24 districts and cities, and it affected 302,665 families," Mardiah explained.
The latest region where water shortage has been reported is Bekasi city. Before that, 23 regions have experienced a shortage of clean water, including Karawang and West Bandung districts.
Meanwhile, the 23 districts and cities affected by drought have also recorded forest and land fires, with the total agricultural land burned reaching 887.7 hectares.
Most of the forest and land fires in the 23 districts and cities have been handled through the cooperation of all related parties.
"Furthermore, the West Java BPBD continues to coordinate with BPBD in regions as well as relevant institutions to provide information on data and efforts to handle forest and land fires," Mardiah said.
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Translator: Ricky Prayoga, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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