Residents of Bigungiro Parish in Nyamweru Sub-county, Rubanda District, are set to get relief after the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) installed a temporary pump to restore water supply following a four-month shortage.
The prolonged shortage has forced residents to walk long distances or pay boda boda riders to transport water from distant sources, affecting domestic work, hygiene and other household activities.
Pastor Asiimwe Kamaga, a resident of Ikamiro in Bigungiro Parish, said the area’s water taps have remained dry for about four months, forcing residents to travel nearly four kilometres to access water. He said boda boda riders sometimes take about an hour to transport water because of the hilly terrain, while residents travelling on foot can take up to three hours.
Prossy Turyamureba, a resident of Nyamiyaga Cell, said women have been particularly affected by the shortage because of the cost of transporting water. She said a jerrycan costs about Shs1,000 to transport, making it difficult for families to obtain enough water for domestic use.
CUE IN KAMAGA & PROSSY…ON WATER SHORTAGE… RR//
Junior Rutatinampara, another resident, said the shortage has affected basic hygiene, including bathing and washing clothes, and asked NWSC to explain the cause of the problem and provide a lasting solution.
Boda boda rider Bahati Enoth says they are considering increasing the cost of transporting water from Shs1,000 to Shs3,000 because of the long distances and difficult terrain.
CUE IN RUTATINAMPARA AND ENOTH…ON WATER SHORTAGE…RR//
Mukorereki Bright, the chairperson of Rwakaruma Village, said he had contacted NWSC and local leaders to establish the cause of the dry taps but had not received a clear explanation.
CUE IN BRIGHT….ON WATER SHORTAGE….RR//
However, the NWSC Kabale manager, Patrick Otim, attributed the shortage to a mechanical breakdown of the main pump supplying Bigungiro. He said the replacement pump had been sourced from abroad and was undergoing clearance by the Uganda Revenue Authority, which he says would be transported to Kabale immediately after clearance and installed to provide a lasting solution to the shortage.
CUE IN OTIM….ON WATER PUMP….ENG//
