Residents in a number of village in the regency of Karangasem, East Bali, are in even worsening crisis of water supply. Head of administrative village of Tigaron Timur in Kubu district, Ketut Rukiana and a resident of Bukit Mangun village said that water reservoir makes no help. The lately completed project elapsing billions out of local government budget proven to be useless and only benefiting a number of local elites.

Mangku Surata who once worked in construction of piping network bringing water from the reservoir to households in Daya, Ban, Kubu said that the reservoir holds only a little of water which is useless as the water has bad odor. “I think it will be more effective if every smaller group of residents given a smaller individual reservoir”, he continued.

The member of regency house of representative Oka Antara expressed similar vision. He informed that the house members has been advising the government from quite a long while to give assistance to smaller group of residents to build their own cluster reservoir instead of larger centralized one. In addition to needing less pipeline network, the first approach to be carried out by the residents themselves should cost less. “However, centralized reservoir construction took large amount of money to be paid out to one contractor, resulting more potential fee certain elites”, he added.

Rukiana said that he has given up in responding to residents’ complain with regard to crisis of water supply in Kubu. Mangku Surata said that together with his fellow residents in Darma Winangun, Tianyar Timur, Kubu, he once managed to operate a deep well. Unfortunate local residents could no longer afford to finance its operation due to increasing price of fuel. Even the local company for water supply (PDAM) refused to take over its operation as it was financially not profitable. “The water flow is quite high, 8.5 liters per second”, he continued.

Through text response services the residents appealed the regent to not forget his people who are suffering for water crisis. On the other hand another member of the regency house of representatives Made Geriya, S.H. said that he has been continuously reminded the executive with regard to cyclical water supply crisis which needs sustainable solution. He insisted that all promises spread during his electoral campaign have to be fulfilled.