March 22, 2017
Water is the source of life. Access to clean, safe and abundant drinking water is a basic human right and one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, but it remains a challenge in parts of Indonesia.
Lukit Village in Pulau Padang, Kepulauan Meranti District is one such place. Its location by the coast means that saltwater can contaminate the groundwater supply. In the rainy season the villagers have the option to collect rain water, but during the twice-yearly dry season the rains can disappear for up to two months. Finding clean water can become a worrying situation for families.
Riau Ecosystem Restoration (RER) aims to improve the wellbeing of the residents of Pulau Padang by providing the community with clean water and sanitation facilities.
Through its CSR program, RER provided a 75-meter deep well and 1,000-liter storage tank to serve 50 families in Lukit Village.
Hartjahjo Ariawan, Manager in Pulau Padang, explains: “This project will help provide clean water and a healthy living environment for school children and adults in the village.”
The head of Hamlet One in Lukit Village thanked RER for the water supply, which addresses one of the main challenges faced by the community.
The installation was constructed on land owned by Lukit Village by a local contractor, PT Putra Asli Lukit, for a total cost of Rp 38 million (USD2,900). Lukit Village government will be responsible for maintenance of the facilities.
“We hope that RER in Pulau Padang will regularly from year to year help our village in overcoming the lack of clean water,” said Edi Gunawan, the village head.
“This new water supply has helped because many people previously had to take water that is located very far away from residential areas, and hopefully the clean water program can also proceed to three other hamlets in the Lukit Village.”
