Bandung, Indonesia Sentinel — The government of Maros Regency in South Sulawesi declared an emergency on Wednesday, October 9, due to an extreme drought affecting nine districts, leaving 45,000 residents in a water crisis. The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) reported severe water shortages across the regency, impacting around 7,000 households.
The head of BPBD Maros, Towadeng, noted that the most severely affected areas include four coastal districts, where access to clean water has become particularly scarce. Among them, Bontoa District has been hit hardest, with approximately 17,500 residents impacted. Lau District is also experiencing shortages, affecting 500 people, while Maros Baru District has around 4,000 residents struggling with water scarcity.
Efforts to distribute clean water are underway, with the government having deployed 200 water tanks to the hardest-hit areas. However, distribution remains limited due to a lack of available vehicles—only two are currently in operation. Financial constraints have also hampered the relief effort, with just Rp 30 million (USD $1,900) allocated, making it challenging to cover the vast area in need.
Towadeng said that there are contingency funds available, but they can only be accessed once an emergency status is declared. The emergency declaration allows for these funds to be released to address the crisis more effectively.
Residents in coastal areas have resorted to using makeshift wells, where water is often brackish and contaminated with mud. Despite the poor quality, these wells remain a vital source of water for daily use as government supplies fall short of meeting the full demand.
Although the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) predicted rain in October, the rainfall has been too light to alleviate the crisis.
Emergency Status
Maros Regency’s has declared an emergency status, and set to remain in place for the next two months until December. “With this declaration, emergency funds can now be allocated based on the real needs of the affected communities,” said Acting Maros Regent Suhartina Bohari, as quoted by CNN Indonesia.
While government efforts have faced obstacles, several other organizations have stepped in to provide assistance. Contributions from Bank Indonesia, Abu Dharda, Basnaz, Pertamina, and PLN have resulted in an additional 300 water tanks being distributed to the drought-stricken areas.
Following the emergency declaration on Maros extreme drought, officials are working to expedite the release of contingency funds to ensure continued water deliveries until the rainy season arrives.
(Raidi/Agung)
