Activities of Community Services RISTEKBRIN 2020 – Clean Water and Geology
Penulis: Arif Susanto, Dasapta Erwin Irawan, dan Lalu Rachmat Faizin
Clean water, scarce water
Did you know that 1 in 3 people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water. As many as 1.2 million people die every year due to consuming unsafe water. Although not included in the list of the 10 worst countries for water access, Indonesia also still needs to struggle to increase the percentage of its population that has access to clean water. According to data on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the achievement of the 6th SDG, clean water and new sanitation, is still red. This means that the target has not been achieved. The problems identified are the lack of clean water sources in many locations and the high level of anthropogenic water pollution (derived from human activities).
Water is scarce, water is sought
Although West Java is famous for its large number of volcanoes — volcanoes are known as “water towers” — there are still many areas that lack water, especially in the dry season. One of them is Pangalengan Village, Bandung Regency.
To address the problem of water shortages, a team led by Mr. Arif Susanto from Geological Engineering Study Program, Faculty of Earth Science and Technology, Bandung Institute of Technology, has been working throughout 2020 to prepare new water sources for the residents of Pangalengan Village.
This activity is funded by the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education under the Community Service for Higher Education (PMUPT) scheme.
Several things were done by the team consisting of Mr. Dasapta Erwin Irawan and several students:
- Construction of a 2.85 x 2.5 x 1.8 m water distribution tank (the walls of the tub have been cast, the top has not).
- Installation of 1,647 m long pipeline (part of the pipe has been installed, water distribution route map is attached).
- Installation of 251 sets of water meters in residents’ homes, schools and mosques (some have been installed).
- Training to improve BUMDES human resources (online accounting training has been implemented).
Geology talks about water too
Geology also deals with rocks in relation to water. The water discussed is ground water, which is water that flows below the surface. Due to its invisible position, groundwater exploration will involve observing rocks, resident wells, and using geophysical tools.
The results of the team’s analysis of the hydrological cycle in the Kab. Bandung concluded that groundwater has sufficient potential. The problem is that it doesn’t flow according to where the people are. The emergence of springs is in an area far from residential residents. Therefore, water catchment tanks and pipelines are needed.
The results of on-site climate modeling, led the team to broader results. The following papers are one of the results. The team is trying to build a climate modeling platform using software Python.
Water is scarce, need cooperation
Cooperation between universities and the community is the main impact of Ristekbrin’s community service activities (pengmas). These two components of stakeholders need to communicate for the progress of the village, which starts with the availability of sufficient water.
The ITB team has established good relationships with community groups in Pangalengan Village and its surroundings, as well as regional leaders including the Lurah and Camat. This is important because it is in their hands that community service sustainability is tested.
Closing
The meme of colleges being ivory towers must be scraped off. One of them is by implementing community service. College lecturers must have a close relationship with the community based on their respective knowledge. Lecturers’ interest in participating in community service funding schemes needs to be balanced, when compared to research funding schemes.
On the other hand, the community also needs to be aware that the results of community service must be maintained and maintained in order to function long. Water tanks, pipelines, and other facilities must be maintained together so that they can serve the needs of the community according to the target.
Thank you.
Sumber : geologi.fitb.itb.ac.id
Berita repost dari : https://geologi.fitb.itb.ac.id/2020/10/22/air-bersih-dan-geologi-kegiatan-pengabdian-masyarakat-ristekbrin-2020/
