0 Morotai residents short of clean water

Residents of Juanga Morotai and Pandanga villages on Morotai Island in North Maluku are reporting water shortages. “The local administration has not been able to provide water supplies to the two villages,” Muhammad Risal, a resident of Juanga Morotai, said on Tuesday as quoted by Antara news agency. Risal said that the Morotai Island administration operated a water company (PDAM) that drew upon three local wells and a source on nearby Nakamura Island. 

However, the water supply for the villages has been hindered by technical problems, while development of a central government clean water project has stopped, he said. Risal said that residents used rainwater during the rainy season or else had to buy water from a private company for Rp 200,000 per tank. Tamrin Robo, the director of PDAM Morotai, said that the company could not solve its technical problems locally. “We have to wait for technicians from Java to repair and install the pipeline network to the two villages,” Tamrin said. Several villages in nearby South Halmahera regency face similar shortages. (nfk)

source : the jakarta post