Manggarai Barat police send 20,000 litres of water to Warloka village

Labuan Bajo — — Manggarai Barat police have delivered 20,000 litres of clean water to residents of Kampung Cumbi in Warloka village, Komodo district, after an earthquake and a prolonged dry season worsened local shortages, according to local news outlet Info Kini on 25 August 2026.

The operation took place on Monday, 24 August 2026, using a dedicated tanker truck to transport water to the coastal settlement. Info Kini reported that the water was channelled into communal storage tanks and residents’ containers from around 9 a.m. local time.

According to the report, 100 households in Kampung Cumbi received allocations during the distribution. Police officers organised residents to queue with jerrycans and similar containers as the tanker made several offloads into larger public reservoirs.

Remote village without piped water

Info Kini described the situation in Warloka as a clean-water crisis driven by the combined impact of the Flores earthquake and an extended dry season. The outlet said Kampung Cumbi is among the areas not yet connected to the public clean-water pipeline network operated by the regional water utility, leaving residents dependent on deliveries and local wells.

The report said residents had recently struggled to secure enough water for cooking and other domestic needs. It noted that local emergency sources, including shallow wells, had declined during the dry conditions.

Info Kini quoted Manggarai Barat Police Chief AKBP Christian Kadang as saying the distribution was intended to secure basic consumption and sanitation needs for affected residents in the short term. He framed the delivery as part of the police’s broader social responsibility in disaster response alongside its security role.

Emergency operation and follow-up

The emergency delivery was described as proceeding in an orderly and safe manner, with police supervising queues and directing residents to collection points. Info Kini reported that community members expressed relief at the arrival of additional supplies after weeks of difficulty obtaining clean water.

In its coverage, Info Kini characterised the affected population as “hundreds of residents” but gave a specific figure only for the 100 households in Kampung Cumbi that received water during this operation. The report did not provide the total number of individuals represented by those households or specify whether other hamlets in Warloka received water at the same time.

The article also stated that officers assigned through the Bhabinkamtibmas community-policing programme would continue monitoring water availability in the area. According to Info Kini, police said the emergency response would be evaluated and additional deliveries could be scheduled if dry conditions persist, although no date or confirmed volume for a follow-up shipment was announced.

Coordination with local government

Info Kini reported that Manggarai Barat police were coordinating with the regency administration and relevant agencies, including the local water utility, on options to expand the clean-water pipe network to Warloka. The outlet said police highlighted Kampung Cumbi as a priority area for future connection.

The report did not identify the precise source of the tanker’s 20,000 litres of water, nor did it state whether the supply came from municipal infrastructure, a private provider or other facilities. It also did not provide information on testing or treatment procedures.

Separate local media reporting in early 2025 on Warloka’s coastal communities has noted longstanding concerns about access to clean water and electricity, with residents relying heavily on wells and seasonal sources. Together with the recent earthquake impacts and dry conditions described by Info Kini, these factors underline the settlement’s vulnerability when existing supplies decline.

Sources

• Info Kini
• Victory News Manggarai Barat