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Namutumba town goes four months without water
Children collect water from rocks in Namutumba Zone ‘B’, Namutumba Town Council, Namutumba District. This follows a water shortage that has entered its fourth month now. PHOTO | RONALD SEEBE
What you need to know:
- Subsequently, locals are trekking for several kilometres in search of water for subsistence, commercial and animal use, Mr Simon Kalulu, a resident of Budongo Zone in Namutumba town council, said.
Residents of Namutumba Town Council in Namutumba District have endured an acute water shortage for four months following the breakage of a pump system at Matyama main water pump station.
Subsequently, locals are trekking for several kilometres in search of water for subsistence, commercial and animal use, Mr Simon Kalulu, a resident of Budongo Zone in Namutumba town council, said.
“I have been missing piped water since July, and every day, I trek from Budongo to Nawaikona (about 5Kms) to fetch water for domestic use,” Mr Kalulu said in an interview.
He added that school-going children have stopped bathing because a jerry can of water currently costs between Shs800 to Shs1,000 in some parts of the town.
Ms Ruth Babirye, a resident of Central Ward, says boda boda riders have since stopped ferrying passengers and embraced dispensing water in town at high prices as a more lucrative venture.
He said: “This is the first time Namutumba Town Council has spent three months without water. Businesses which need water like small hotels in town suburbs have closed.”
Ms Susan Ayigo, the manager of Namutumba Town Council water supply, however, attributed the water shortage to the damages on the water pump system, load shedding and intermittent power supply which lasts for between three and four days.
“Much as we are trying to put right the water pump system which broke down, we are constructing two more water pump stations to increase the water supply,” she said.
“We request water users and the town council leadership to write to Umeme (power distributor) to solve the problem of load shedding because our pumps use electricity to pump water; we cannot serve our customers to their expectations when power keeps going off every hour,” she added.
Ms Ayigo also suggests that separate power lines be provided by Umeme purposely for water supply.
Last week, locals promised to protest against the continuous load shedding in town which has affected businesses, prompting area Members of Parliament (MPs); Mr Paul Akamba (Busiki Constituency) and Ms Mariam Naigaga (Woman MP) to present the matter on the floor of Parliament last Tuesday.
The legislators demanded to know why residents of Namutumba District continue experiencing load shedding.
Mr Godfrey Mwembe, the Namutumba Town Council LC3 chairperson, said people who used to sell water packed in polythene bags are no longer doing so because the necessity has become expensive.
“We are aware of the situation water users are experiencing and it is the same situation we are also facing as leaders because we also use water. But we are working with Umeme to solve the issue of load shedding in town,” he said.
