The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Agago, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Thousands of residents in Agago district are struggling with water shortage following the breakdown of several boreholes.
A report released by SDG WASH indicates that there are 1,372 domestic water points that were established to serve a total of 246,034 people.
However, data collected from 165 schools, 38 health facilities, and 1,308 water points last year shows that at least 318 of these boreholes have been non-functional for the last five years.
The situation, officials say has forced some institutions such as health facilities to share water sources with the community. According to a report by the International Resource Center for Water Sanitation and Hygiene (IRC-WASH), at least 76 percent of health units in the district have protected water sources, but 34 percent of them share the water source with the community.
Albert Okeny, a resident of Locken village in Omiya Pacwa sub county said the nearest water source is in Layita Central, which is 8 kilometers away from his home, or Lamingonen Primary School which is also 8 kilometers away.
Okeny revealed the community school in the village also lacks a water source and learners carry water from home daily.
According to Okello, there are 80 households in his villages with more than 480 people who cannot easily access clean and safe water.
Benah Achuma, the Secretary for Health in the district said data reflected by the Ministry of Water and Environment website indicates that the district has a water coverage of 95 percent.
Achuma explained that the data by the Ministry of Water and Environment was collected during the time the people were in IDP camps. According to a report by SDG WASH, the water coverage in the district is only 62 percent.
Emmanuel Okot, the Resident District Commissioner of Agago said during one of his visits to the sub-counties, he realized that in Parabongo sub-county, the residents have been grappling with water scarcity for years.
He condemned the incorrect data presented by the Ministry of Water and Environment that the district has a water coverage of 95 percent, saying it is misleading.
Okot tasked the district water officer to write to the Ministry of Water and Environment, explaining that their data on the water coverage in the district is misleading, and should be removed from their database.
Beatrice Akori, the MP for Agago district revealed that she got statistics from the water office indicating that over 400 villages out of 1,200 in the district lack clean sources of water.
Emmanuel Oroma, the Agago District Water Officer says that he has written four reports to Ministry of Water about the misrepresentation of the water coverage in the district but he is yet to get a report.
Francis Odokonyero, the Agago district borehole maintenance technician said a number of water user committees mismanage financial contributions from communities, which leads to the non-repair of some water points and functionality.
Odokonyero advised the committees should be reactivated and retrained in their role to maintain the water points.
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