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Drought pushes water price up sharply in Central Java
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Water crisis: Musuk villagers in Boyolali, Central Java, collect water from a hole dug in a dry riverbed during the ongoing drought, which has affected 13 villages in the province.
(JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi)
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esidents in 13 villages hit by drought in Kemalang district, Klaten, Central Java, have started to buy clean water. The villages’ remote locations and considerable geographical challenges have caused the price of clean water to skyrocket up to Rp 300,000 (US$22.49) per 5,000-liter tank.
The price of clean water is normally only between Rp 100,000 and Rp 150,000 per tank.
Such a high price for clean water is now particularly affecting the residents of six villages, namely Kendalsari, Panggang, Sidorejo, Talun, Tegalmulyo and Tlogowatu. Every dry season, these villages located on the slope of Mount Merapi, are prone to drought.
Residents of the six villages are forced to buy water because the store in their rainwater basins has run out, while the water supplied by the Klaten Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) has never been able to cover their needs.
“Residents here have bought water from private suppliers several times. In August, clean water still cost Rp 230,000 [US$17.25] per 5,000-liter tank. It’s now Rp 300,000,” said Sukiman, a community leader from Sidorejo village, on Sunday.
Usually, one tank of water will be used up within just two weeks. For residents on the slope of Mount Merapi, water is not only for cooking, bathing and washing clothes, but also to provide water for their livestock.
Sukiman said that to cover their water needs, each household in Sidorejo village, which is located only around 4.5 kilometers from the peak of Merapi, spent between Rp 600,000 and Rp 1 million on clean water per month.
