By KT Reporter
Kucwiny Sub County in Nebbi District has received a solar-powered water system in their area.
The sub-county is known to be a water-stretched area, where residents have to move long distances to get clean and safe water, and the burdens of water challenges are shifted to school-going children and mothers.
The 800 million Shillings water system was initiated by African Water Solution (AWS) in the sub-county. It will serve 84000 residents and will increase water coverage, which has been at 30 percent in the last 5 years.
According to the residents, the communities were without clean and safe water for nearly 50 years, forcing the communities to drink contaminated water, which resulted in health complications.
Tabban Wakonga says the communities have reasons to celebrate the milestones for being connected with piped water after a long time suffering without clean and safe water. He says that the presence of this motorized borehole will address the alarming challenges associated with water scarcity.
Wakonga added that, before the installation of the water system, communities of Vur Lee, Ndima West, Lee village, Mbaro Lee, Oryeju Lower, Oryeju Upper, in Kucwiny sub-county were moving long distances looking for clean water.
“Since there are water challenges in the communities, our population in Lee parish is dwindling because people are migrating to places with water, hence reducing our revenues to support our local development”, Wakonga said.
Mary Ocanda, resident of Oryeju Upper in Kucwiny, says, since their sub-county is water-stretched, the government should construct a valley dam to boost water for both livestock and water for production for economic transformations and livelihood change.
“We only have one planting season because of the rain changing patterns, and if the government could boost our production by constructing valley dams, we would also improve our livelihoods”, Ocanda said.
The program manager African Water Solution (AWS) Amos Openji says, AWS have mapped 13 villages to be connected with piped water aimed at reducing risks that are associated water challenges but at the moment, 9 villages are fully connected while 4 are pending for connections and thereafter, the connections will be extended to neighboring villages.
He adds that, Ndima Motorized borehole was funded by Water School Canada, pumping 11,000 liters per hour, with a reserve tank of 80,000 Liters aimed at covering a distance of 12 kilometers, which will cover 13 villages.
Urombi Emmanuel, the LCV Chairman of Nebbi district, says the district will continue identifying areas with water challenges to fix the water coverage gaps since water has become a bigger challenge to be addressed in the communities, because in the same areas, the water table is a problem when drilling boreholes.
“The communities used to get water from very far where young girls were at risk of being rapped, now with the motorized borehole, cases of domestic violence have to reduce and women can access water at nearby point as AWS looks forward in extending the piped water to other communities without clean water,” Urombi said-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
