22 East Java Regions Declare Drought Emergency, 84,000 Affected

East Java is grappling with a severe drought emergency, with 22 out of 38 regencies and cities in the province now under a state of emergency. This widespread dry spell has impacted an estimated 84,458 residents, highlighting the critical water shortage facing the region.

Local disaster management authorities are actively distributing clean water to agricultural lands to prevent crop failure, a phenomenon known as 'puso'. While 15 regencies are managing these efforts using their own budgets, 11 others have requested financial assistance from the provincial government. These 11 regencies have exhausted their local funds in their efforts to supply water and now require support from the provincial budget.

The East Java Provincial Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) has mobilized substantial resources to combat the drought. This includes preparing 5,410 water truck rotations, 100 foldable water tanks, 50 standard water tanks, and 9,600 tarpaulins. The agency emphasizes that its personnel are ready to distribute water, but each affected regency or city must formally request assistance from the provincial government in Surabaya to ensure equitable distribution.