A team of 30 Community Service Program (KKN-PPM) students at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has been working on community service activities on Karampuang Island, Mamuju Regency, West Sulawesi.
One of their key projects is installing rainwater harvesting technology to address water scarcity in two hamlets on the island.
Ardy Mahdi Nugroho, the Coordinator of the Karampuang unit, explained to the UGM Public Relations team on Sunday (Jul. 7) that of the 11 hamlets on the island, two still lack access to piped water. In hamlets with piped water, it sometimes flows only once a week.
“We have surveyed these two hamlets and found the local water company does not serve them. It is not always available even in areas with piped water,” Nugroho said.
The team presented their planned activities for the 50-day KKN-PPM program, which concludes on Aug. 19.
Mario, a UGM Communication Science student, mentioned that Karampuang Island, accessible by a 20-minute boat ride from Mamuju, is home to one village and 11 hamlets with a population of around 3,000 people and 900 families.
He noted that Nangka and Sepang are the two hamlets struggling with access to clean water. The plan is to install rainwater harvesting equipment as a pilot project at one of these locations, where rainwater can be collected and purified.
“We will install a system with a capacity of 1,200 liters. This equipment will filter rainwater to make it clean, as the well water here is generally salty,” Mario explained.
Ghibran Nabil Putra, an Environmental Infrastructure Engineering program student, said they will install solar-powered streetlights in addition to the rainwater harvesting system. These lights will be placed at four points connecting the hamlets, which lack proper lighting.
“At night, the paths between the hamlets, mostly dirt trails or some with concrete paving, are completely dark. We will install lights at these four points,” Putra said.
He explained that the solar-powered lighting project addresses the issue of electricity shortages on the island, which relies on solar power plants (PLTS).
“The island’s electricity comes from four PLTS. As the number of houses increases, the duration of lighting decreases. The lights often don’t work during the rainy season,” Putra added.
Putra noted that lights typically stay on from around 10 AM to 11 PM under normal weather conditions. If there is insufficient sunlight, the lights do not stay on as long.
“As electricity needs increase, if the weather is good, the lights stay on from 10 AM to 11 PM; otherwise, it gets dark earlier,” Putra said.
Fadli, a 22-year-old Karampuang village youth organization member, appreciated the UGM KKN-PPM team’s installation of rainwater harvesting technology. He hopes the student’s work will benefit the residents of Karampuang.
“We hope the KKN-PPM students’ work will positively impact the community, especially since some of their projects align with our youth organization’s work,” Fadli said.
Ahmad Ali, the Head of Karampuang Village, also expressed gratitude for the presence of the UGM students, recalling their previous visit in 2019. He hopes the students’ arrival will provide education and help the community advance its potential.
“We know UGM students have quality human resources and can educate the Karampuang community to develop their potential, both on land and at sea, as a tourist destination,” he concluded.
Author: Gusti Grehenson