Gulu city residents suffer as NSWC implements water cuts

Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Residents of Gulu City are battling an acute water shortage following the decrease and drying up of the water levels at the Oyitino main supply dam.

According to Ivan Tekakwo, the Northern Region area spokesperson for the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), the dam has dried up and can no longer produce the required amount of water needed to supply the population.

Tekakwo told URN that the dam, which used to supply a daily capacity of 7 million liters of water per day, can now produce only 3 million liters per day, which is insufficient to meet the needs of the entire population.

He further noted that the drying of the dam has been caused by the prolonged dry spell in the region, which has persisted for the past four months.

Tekakwo explained that the reduced water supply from Oyitino has affected residents in Gulu City for the past few months, and Karuma water supply has been brought on board to supplement the supply.

He revealed that the Karuma water supply, which is still in its trial phase, has contributed an additional 7 million liters of water per day, out of the required production rate of 10 million liters.

Tekakwo further explained that once NWSC begins fully utilizing the Karuma water supply, Gulu City will receive 10 million liters of water daily from the reservoir at Custom Corner in the Bardege-Layibi Division in Gulu City.

“We have issues of water crises during dry seasons, where sometimes we do not have enough water for our customers due to the drying of Oyitino dam. But this will be history when the Karuma water supply is in use,” Tekakwo revealed.

The multibillion shilling Karuma-Gulu water project, which began construction in August 2022, is jointly funded by the government of Uganda, KfW, and a loan from the World Bank.

The project includes the establishment of a water treatment plant at Nora village, the construction of water reservoirs, and the installation of 69.5 kilometers of transmission main pipelines to Gulu City through six per-urban towns: Karuma, Kamdini, Minakulu, Bobi, Palenga, and Koro Abili.

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URN