Africa-Press – Uganda. A water crisis that has for long piled misery on residents of Atiak and Elegu town councils in Amuru District, has been solved with the commissioning of two water facilities.
Locals used to trek long distances to fetch water for domestic use.
Mr Kenneth Okot, the chairperson of Atiak Town Council, said during the commissioning of the facilities on Tuesday: “The locals used to fetch water from local wells, rivers, and streams, which were unsafe for human consumption. We used to suffer from various water-borne diseases, making people’s lives generally very hard.”
Ms Aisha Bako, the women leader of Elegu Town Council, said: “We have already started drinking clean water. This means we shall be healthy and productive.”
Mr Robert Wesamoyo, a resident of Elegu Town Council, said the price of water has also gone down.
“A jerrycan of water that was fetched from the river or stream was going for Shs500 but now, we are buying water at Shs100 from public tap stands,” he said.
Funding
The Atiak Rural Growth Centre and Bibia- Elegu piped water supply and sanitation facilities were funded by the Government of Uganda and the German Government through KfW and Consulting Engineers Salzgitter (CES), as the management consultant.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Mr David Loew, the head of cooperation at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, said clean and safe water is not only a necessity, but a fundamental human right “and that is the reason why this development has happened here on the ground”.
“This project showcases what can be achieved when government, development institutions, communities work together towards a shared vision,” he said.
Mr John Bosco Opio, the deputy chief administrative officer of Amuru, said: “We shall maintain the safety of these facilities for the good of the district.”
Maintenance
The assistant commissioner of planning and development at the Ministry of Water and Environment, Mr Richard Matua, said the systems have been handed over to Northern Umbrella of Water and Sanitation for operation and maintenance.
He said the Atiak water supply and sanitation system components include 200 connections (200-yard taps, five public stand posts, construction of a nine- stance water-borne public toilet, construction of a five-stance drainable ventilated improved pit-latrines for girls at Olya Primary School, and a fully-furnished water office block at Atiak Town Council, among others.
Mr Michael Lakony, the chairperson of Amuru, thanked the governments of Uganda and Germany for the intervention, which he said will go a long way in improving the livelihoods of residents.
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