Jakarta – The prolonged drought in Central Java, which has lasted for five months already, has caused residents in several provinces to resort to selling their livestock to purchase water. Many have also had to walk for hours in search of water.

The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said yesterday that the transition period (from the dry to rainy season) would last until December with rains falling sporadically in different areas. Agency spokesman Waab Tamrin said that the peak of the rainy season would be in January and February next year.

Thousands of families in Cilacap, Boyolali and Purbalingga have gone without clean water this year. In Boyolali, as many as 48 villages in three districts have been suffering from prolonged drought. Many villagers have had to sell cows to afford water for their other cows.

"A cow costs 4 million rupiah (S$760). With that much money we were able to buy water for five other cows. Each cow needs 50 litres of water per day," a villager was quoted by Antara as saying. "Those who have money find few problems in obtaining clean water. They just order clean water from PDAM [Purbalingga Water Company]. But for people like me, having money for the daily meal is good enough," Mr Yusman, 45, a local, said.