Team of officers from the water department of Obongi district doing monitoring of the Aliba Ewafa water project. Photos by Marko Taibot
By Marko Taibot
Obongi: At least 40,000 people in Obongi from Obongi town council, Aliba sub-county, and Ewafa sub-county will be connected to clean and safe drinking water as the projects for water worth Shs9.1b are nearing completion.
The water projects are the Obongi town council water project of shs6.2b financed by the Ministry of Water and Environment, and the Aliba Ewafa water project worth shs2.9b funded by the Development Response to Displacement Impact (DRDIP). The water projects are 40 % and 90% complete, respectively.
Dominic Iranya, the Obongi district water officer, said once the water projects are complete, the access to clean and drinking water in Obongi will increase to 90% from 70%.
“The Obongi town council water project will benefit 25,000 people from 30 villages, and the Aliba Ewafa piped water supply will connect 18,000 people, the scope of the project will include sanitary facilities, public office for management and payment of bills,” Iranaya said.
Iranya added that at the Obongi town council water project, the construction of the reservoir tank base is ongoing, the distribution of the line excavated, the laying of pipes is underway, and the pump houses are ready and waiting for electromechanical installations.
By the end of April, the water lines in Obongo Town Council will be tested for functionality, and a water project with a reservoir tank of 200,000 liters will be installed.
General situation of water in Obongi
Report from the water office indicates that by the end of last financial year, at least 70,000 people in refugee settlements and host communities in Obongi district did not have access to clean and safe water.
According to the district water officer, Dominic Iranya, only 70% of the total population in Obongi have access to clean and safe drinking water, below the national average of 75 percent.
Iranya further said despite the low access to clean water, the functionality of water points in the district has increased from 56% in 2019 to 85% in 2023. He added that out of the 346 boreholes, 294 are functional, and all the 32 piped water points are functional.
He said Palorinya Refugee Settlement has 148 boreholes, but only 132 are working, but all the 16 piped water points are functional.
The two sub-counties with low access to clean and safe water are Gimara with 49 percent, and Obongo Town Council, with only 46 percent.
The reaction from the locals
Majid Asiku, a resident of Lionga village, where the solar-powered piped water is, welcomed the idea but complained that the earlier mini solar piped water projects of Liwa had low pressure, and suggested that the current ones should be made strong enough to supply water throughout the day.
“When we were relying on the borehole, we used to get water from morning till evening, but our experience with the mini solar Liwa piped water project is that the supply is very poor,” Asiku stated.
Rukia Zainab, a resident of Obongi town, attested that the problem of accessing clean drinking water has persisted and they still walk long distances to access clean water.
“There are taps and piped water, but the supply is low, we don’t know if it is the problem of water or the solar are too weak to pump the water adequately. My appeal is that this new project will supply water adequately for us so that we don’t walk long distances in search of water,” Rukia said.
Sustainability strategies for the piped water project.
George Lomo, the local council three chairperson of Gimara sub-county where the piped water project is being undertaken, said ownership is key in addressing the challenges of sustainability.
According to Lomo, the area has for more than 50 years been suffering from inadequate clean drinking water, that is why sustainability strategies are key in ensuring there is a constant supply of water.
Lomo clarified that they have already instituted the water management committees to oversee the utilization of the water point.
The district water officer, Dominic Iranya, also specified that another strategy for sustainability is training, and retooling hand pump mechanics and scheme operators to repair the pump immediately it breaks down.
Iranya also maintained that the district is getting into a public-private partnership with organizations to supply and sell spare parts at subsidized cost.
“We are also implementing the National operational maintenance framework by the Ministry of Water and Environment; this will address issues of having a water management board at the sub-county and district levels, focusing on area service providers. They will be mandated to ensure day-to-day running of the water,” Iranya said.
What other leaders have said?
Charles Lokoroi, the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Obongi, disclosed that the district has deliberately invested in the water sector to solve the water challenges of the populace.
“The communities here did not have safe drinking water initially, as we are finishing the water projects, community structures have been established to sustain the huge investments in the water sector,” Lokoroi said.
The Obongi Resident District Commissioner, Samuel Hashaka Mpimbaza, pledged to monitor the water projects through the community structures, to ensure there’s sustainability.
The RDC commended the community for offering their customary land to set the water projects, saying it portrays patriotism.
