Gembong Hanung, Jakarta – Prolonged dry season is beginning to take a toll on Jakarta residents, with depleted wells and disrupted piped-water services leaving households in several neighborhoods short of water.
The Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) has stepped up clean water distribution following reports of groundwater wells running dry and interruptions to the piped network operated by city-owned water company PAM Jaya.
As of Monday, BPBD Jakarta had distributed 324,450 liters of clean water to around 1,410 households across 14 districts in the capital, according to agency head Marulitua Sijabat.
The city has also prepared 29 water trucks and deployed 1,027 personnel from various agencies to respond to growing water shortages.
"The agency keeps monitoring affected areas and the development of the dry conditions to ensure that public needs are quickly delivered," Marulitua said on Monday.
The agency has previously urged residents to use water sparingly as the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) warned of meteorological drought across most part of the capital. Residents experiencing water shortages can request emergency clean water deliveries through the city's 112 hotline.
Access to piped water remains uneven in Jakarta, particularly in coastal neighborhoods where residents have long relied on informal water vendors and other sources. PAM Jaya's piped network currently serves around 80 percent of Jakarta households, leaving many residents dependent on groundwater or other sources.
The prolonged dry spell is also putting pressure on the city's raw water supplies. BMKG has warned that El Nino conditions could persist until early 2027, increasing the risk of drought and water shortages in several parts of the country.
PAM Jaya, however, has sought to reassure residents that Jakarta's water supply remains secure despite the prolonged dry season.
"We keep monitoring water levels at our raw water sources regularly, and the levels remain within safe thresholds," PAM Jaya spokesperson Gatra Vaganza said on Monday.
The company has also reported saltwater intrusion disrupting services in nine subdistricts, including West Cengkareng and East Cengkareng in West Jakarta, as well as the coastal neighborhoods of Kamal Muara and Muara Karang in North Jakarta.
Additional water tankers have been deployed to the affected areas to help meet residents' needs.
Jakarta is not alone in facing water shortages. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has reported drought-related water crises in several regions as the dry season continues. In Central Java, for example, tens of thousands of households are affected across eight regencies.
In West Nusa Tenggara, authorities have distributed more than 3.4 million L of clean water to drought-affected residents, with nine regencies and cities declaring drought emergency preparedness and three having escalated their status to emergency response as of Sept. 14.
But emergency water deliveries are not enough to address the country's broader water crisis, according to Muhammad Reza Sahib, national coordinator of the People's Coalition for the Right to Water (Kruha).
"The government must not resort only to distributing water trucks to substitute its obligation to provide sustainable drinking water services," he said on Monday.
The government should instead focus on ensuring equitable access to water by expanding water infrastructure and preventing industrial activities that could threaten public access to water, Reza added.
Source: https://asianews.network/jakarta-water-shortages-worsen-as-dry-season-drags-on