Ministry of Public Works Distributes Clean Water and Saves 141,000 Hectares of Rice

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The Ministry of Public Works has intensified drought mitigation measures in 3,288 locations across Indonesia to ensure water availability for residential areas and agricultural land during the prolonged dry season. Director General of Water Resources at the Ministry of Public Works Arnold A.P. Ritiauw, said the mitigation efforts had been carried out from July to September 24, 2026.

“The Ministry of Public Works is ensuring that water reaches residents’ homes and rice fields amid the worst drought in recent years,” Ritiauw said, as quoted from an official statement issued by the Ministry of Public Works in Jakarta on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.

As of September 24, response measures at 2,700 locations had been completed, while work at the remaining 588 locations was still underway. In the clean water sector, the ministry had distributed 48.9 million liters of clean water to more than 1.75 million people. The water was distributed through water tankers and public hydrants in residential areas.

Meanwhile, in the agricultural sector, emergency measures helped protect 141,440 hectares of rice fields from potential crop failure and harvest losses.

“The ministry pumped river water directly into rice fields at 133 locations, while irrigation channels were restored and emergency channels constructed at 42 locations,” the Ministry of Public Works said in a statement.

Interventions were also carried out at 183 other locations through water distribution management, including water rotation systems to ensure an equitable supply of water to rice fields.

The ministry said the integrated measures were aimed at maintaining water availability and meeting communities’ basic need for clean water throughout the dry season.

“These tactical and integrated measures are expected to help maintain national food security and ensure that communities’ basic right to clean water continues to be properly fulfilled throughout the dry season,” the statement said. (Marisa)