Africa-Press – Uganda. Residents of Bweema Sub County in Buvuma District will in the next one and half years be counted among those with access to clean and safe water after the district secured Shs1.3m to facilitate the project.
The project which has already commenced at Namatale Village in Buziri Parish will serve 800 households in seven villages.
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Kanyenya Engineering Works Ltd is undertaking construction works where a rapid mixing tank, sedimentation tank, and rapid gravity sand filter will be installed.
According to Mr Richard Tusiime, the LCIII chairperson of Bweema Sub County, residents have for a long time suffered crocodile attacks while fetching water directly from the lake.
“The lake shores in our area are a home for the deadly reptiles and we are happy because this project is going to save our people from such dangers,” he said.
In the past couple of years, six people have been killed by crocodiles while fetching water from the lake, according to Mr Tumusiime.
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Mr Adrian Ddungu, the Buvuma District chairperson urged the committee led by Mary Gorreti Nankyinga which is overseeing the project to ensure that the contractor does a perfect job.
“Many government projects have failed to benefit the targeted communities due to substandard work, let us ensure that materials are not stolen and there is value for money,” he said.
During the groundbreaking ceremony for the project on Wednesday, Mr Godfrey Turitya, the Buvuma Resident District Commissioner, threatened to arrest whoever would be caught stealing materials.
Buvuma has a total water coverage of 29 per cent up from 38 per cent in 2014.
Currently, the district which comprises 52 inhabited islands has a projected population 130,000.
The project is supported with a grant (Shs1.3b) from the government through the Ministry of Water & Environment.
So far, piped water has been extended to 50 villages out of 220 villages in the island district and the majority of these are within Buvuma Town Council.
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A recent survey by Buvuma District authorities revealed that a total of 56,960 residents lack access to safe water, while about 55,180 do not have pit latrines at their homes. This situation has exposed many locals to hygiene-related diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and dysentery.
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