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Bekasi regency to build six reservoirs to anticipate drought
He added that the six new artificial lakes could provide a clean water supply for up to two months for residents living in the areas that are often hit by water shortages during the dry season.
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A child stands near a puddle in a fish pond that has evaporated in the dry season in Rawa Badak Utara in North Jakarta on Aug. 2. (Wartakota.tribunnews,com/File)
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he Bekasi regency administration in West Java is planning to build as many as six embung (artificial lakes) this year in drought-prone areas as part of an effort to save water and tackle water shortages.
The six embung would be built in Cibarusah, Bojongmangu and Cabangbungin districts, said the water resources management division head at the Bekasi Public Works and Public Housing, Nur Chaidir.
“The embung are to retain water during the rainy season so when the dry season comes the water can be used by residents,” he said on Friday as reported by kompas.com.
He added that the six new artificial lakes could provide clean water for up to two months to residents living in the areas that are often hit by water shortages during the dry season.
In addition to providing clean water for daily activities, the reservoirs can also be used to water local farm fields.
Besides constructing the embung, the administration would also build 120 wells to help boost the water supply for residents.
The agency had allocated Rp 120 billion (US$8.46 million) for the two projects, which are expected to be completed by the end of this year, Chaidir said.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has issued warnings of a prolonged dry season this year in some parts of the archipelago including the Greater Jakarta area. The agency predicted that the dry season would last until September and also warned that the harsher dry season could trigger extreme droughts.
