The well, known as Wetutune Wempas Dalam, had been the pulse of the villagers’ lives since the 1800s. Hence, it comes as no surprise that the people designated it as a customary well.
Legend has it that the water of the old well has curative properties to help relieve illnesses in people.
Moreover, the locals believe that when a practitioner of black magic visits Lermatang Village, the water appears to be boiling.
As a mark of respect, the villagers usually toss small rocks they find nearby into the well that they consider sacred.
Despite holding the well in high regard, the residents of the village still find it challenging to reach the old source of water.
The vintage well finds itself in a forest area, requiring the villagers to take a 20-minute walking trip from their homes to reach it. Adding up to the challenge is that the well is inaccessible by vehicles.
The challenging track is coupled with the residents' limited capacity to bring the well’s water in a single trip. Those seeking water usually use jerry cans that can only store five to 20 liters of water.
About 90 percent of the villages’ population of 1,645 were highly dependent on the very well for water supply.
Things often become more complicated during a prolonged dry season, which automatically affects the quantity of water supplied by the 15-meter deep well that measures 3 x 3 meters in width.
One of the villagers, Lince Rumihin, 52, said she had to wait around an hour to get water from the well during the dry season.
Meanwhile, a village official named Mesak Tapdare, 52, remarked that the Wetutune Wempas Dalam well can attract a queue of up to 20 people hoping to get a share of water during the dry season.
Difficulties in obtaining water during the dry season forced some villagers to consume water from any sources they could find, thereby triggering cases of diarrhea.
The government’s aid
Noticing the difficulties faced by the villagers, the Ministry of Social Affairs took the initiative to provide clean water treatment installation in the village, whose operation was launched by Minister Tri Rismaharini during her official visit to Tanimbar Islands on Wednesday (June 26).
The water installation came as a breath of fresh air for the locals, as it eliminated the need to rely on the hardly accessible old well.
Owing to the government’s assistance, the villagers can now purify six thousand liters of groundwater into drinkable water every day using the reverse osmosis method that the installation is capable of.
In addition, the Social Affairs Ministry has provided the village with a pair of water tanks meant to store the purified water.
To ensure that the operation of the water treatment installation is uninterrupted in the event of a blackout, the ministry plans to install solar panels, with a total capacity of eight thousand watt peak.
Melka Laim, 46, a female sweet potato gardener, admitted to being highly grateful for the assistance provided by the central government.
Right on the first day of the installation’s operation, she managed to acquire a supply of clean water that she drank and used for cooking and washing clothes as well as dishes.
“The water is in good condition. I have tasted it, and it turned out to be cleaner and tastier than the water supplied by the well,” she told ANTARA while laughing along with her husband Yohan, 45.
The Social Affairs Ministry's provision of the clean water treatment installation can be seen as one of the government’s efforts to empower people and help them remain productive.
Minister Rismaharini said she believes that healthy people are key to paving the way for a productive community.
On that note, she has been directing the Ministry of Social Affairs to exert efforts to identify the cause of a disease to protect residents, thereby allowing them to become more productive.
The proverb “Give one a fishing rod instead of the fish” captures the true essence of this situation. The clean water treatment installation is referred to as a fishing rod that can help the residents of Lermatang Village to catch “fish”.
By making the most of the installation, the villagers no longer need to either face the hassles of reaching the old well to acquire clean water or consume water from unreliable sources, which makes them susceptible to productivity-impeding diarrhea.
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Translator: Sean Filo, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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