Yogyakarta (ANTARA News) - Minister of Research, Technology, and Higher Education (Menristekdikti) Mohamad Nasir inaugurated the installation of Drinking Water Treatment System (SPAM) and Solar Water Pump System (SPATS) for Dusun Temu Ireng, Gunung Kidul Regency.

"Water that once was considered as a problem, Alhamdulillah the community of Gunung Kidul  has already got the water by utilizing technology research and development of Agency for Assessment and Application of Technology or BPPT in supporting the  public health," said Nasir in Girisuko Village, Panggang District, Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta Special Region on Thursday .

The utilization of this solar cell technology can be applied elsewhere and if it is being maintanced well, it can be utilized for 20 years. According to him, it is a form of the down-streaming research and development results that have been done by Non-Ministry Government Institutions (LPNK) and universities.

Therefore, on the same occasion he asked the public to take care of SPAM and SPATS installation so that it can last long life. After the clean water problem is completed, he said, the Ministry could continue to help develop the livestock sector, fisheries to agriculture in Gunung Kidul for the improvement of people's welfare.

For the maintenance, he hoped that the Regent of Gunung Kidul and the Ministry of Village Development for Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration could work together to help the villagers develop their business using the installed technology to finance the maintenance of the facility independently.

The General Director of Strengthening of Research and Development Kemristekdikti M Dimyati said that the development of installation facilities SPAM and SPATS is in accordance with the request of the Governor of DKI Yogyakarta since 1.5 years ago to Menristekdikti to be able to have a research and development to solve the problem of clean water in Gunung Kidul.

He hoped that the existing of BPPT technology and innovation in collaboration with Universitas Pembangunan Nasional (UPN) Veteran Yogyakarta which is used to lift the water embung and distribute it to the residents' homes for about 321 families (KK) in Dusun Temu Ireng, Gunung Kidul, can be replicated in another location.

According to Dimyati, the budget spent to build SPAM and SPATS installation facilities reached  1iah billion rupiahs. The people around can get drinking water and clean water with the treatment technology of drinking water and clean water by using the solar power.

The head of Gunung Kidul Regency Badingah said his area has abundant water source but he has not been able to lift it to the surface. This area is full of karst and underground rivers but the water has not been able to rise to the surface due to the problem of electrical limitations.

"It needs technology and innovation here, so that the new energy solutions are renewable well considering the resources are quite high here," he said.

Gunung Kidul Regency Government, he added, are ready to replicate this technology to other villages in Gunung Kidul. It needs the increasing of the capacity of human resources to utilize this technology considering it is still very layman.

There has  already been around 100 of 104 Bumdes in Gunung Kidul Regency and they can replicate these technologies and innovations. He also hopes that the community can take advantage of and keep it for long-term needs.

The residents of Dusun Temu Ireng I Jumbadi said that he had been forced to buy clean water during the dry season since 35 to 40 years. He used to pay 130,000 rupiahs per five cubic of clean water for the purposes of living, farming and raising for seven days.

Although the water from SPAM and SPATS installation facilities is not yet flowing to his current home, but Jumbadi is still grateful to the government for building the facility. Hopefully in the near future he does not need to spend more to get clean water.

News : Virna Puspa S

Editor: Fitri Supratiwi