Yumbe, Nebbi residents raise concern over water shortage

Yumbe and Nebbi districts are facing a water shortage, with some residents forced to walk  five kilometres  to  get  water.

Ms Mariam Onzia, 65, a resident of Galaba Village, in Lodonga Town Council, Yumbe District, told Daily Monitor on Monday that she wakes up at 4am and walks about five kilometres daily in search of clean water for domestic use.

Ms Onzia said she used to collect water from the streams and rivers in the valleys near her home during the rainy season but these have since dried up.

“We have been suffering in this village for long without access to clean water. Cases of waterborne diseases are common in our village because we have been drinking dirty water from the valleys, which we sometimes share with animals,” she said.

District authorities blame the water shortage on a dry spell. 

Mr Kalid Ezale, a resident of Olugofe Village in Apo Sub-county, said there is a lot of congestion at the few water points.

“Our water point serves a population of more than 600 people from five villages in the Sub-county and part of Yumbe Town Council. It takes a person more than two hours to fetch water at the borehole. So there is a need to drill more boreholes in the village,” he said.

Mr Abdu Andama, the officer-in-charge of mobilisation in Yumbe District, said the water sources are few compared to the number of people using them.

“We are looking at the population growth rate of an area where one household has at least seven children. This alone puts stress on the water resources in the district,” he said.

Mr Andama said  the district water department is underfunded.

Neighbouring Nebbi District is facing a similar crisis due to a dry spell.  The situation has been worsened in urban areas because of a rising population that the current water supply system can not support.

 The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) senior engineer in the district, Mr Kenneth Rukundo,  said :“NWSC is being faced with a number of challenges of mechanical breakdown of machines and unreliable electricity power to run the heavy pumps to distribute water to cover areas mapped by NWSC for water supplies.”

Mr Geoffrey Olangi, a resident of Kasuku Cell in Abindu Division in Nebbi Municipality, said: “The situation is even more challenging during these school times hence making it hard for mothers to prepare children for school since many hours are spent while looking for water in this dry season.”

Mr Brain Rwothongeyo, a washing bay operator in Nebbi Town, said he has lost several customers due to the unreliable water supply.

The most affected areas in Nebbi Town include Laji, Unjuku upper and lower cells.

Construction of boreholes

The Rotary Club of Makindye has partnered with Rotary Club of Kelso in America to support Yumbe District to rehabilitate and drill boreholes in nine villages.

Speaking during a tour of the projects on Monday, Mr Godfrey Kayitarama, the assistant governor for Rotary Club in Makindye, said the project, worth $90,000 (about Shs315.4m), has been funded by the Rotary Foundation, an arm of Rotary International.

“Before the implementation of the project, we carried out assessment. When we came to the villages where the projects are being implemented, we found that the areas were in dire need of water,” he said.

Five boreholes have been repaired in the villages of Galaba,Mazanga, Barifa, Olugofe, and Yumbe East while 

four boreholes are being drilled in the villages of Alaba,Biragonga,Lanzua, and Teremu.

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