Water scarcity hits 6,000 people in Amuru district

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | More than 6,000 residents of Amuru sub-county in Amuru district are facing acute water shortage after major wells and springs dried up.

Annually, Acholi sub-region experiences dry spells that span from November to early March.

Grace Achan, the area water committee of Amuru trading center says that over 800 households in the area now depending on a single borehole. She explains that since 2006, when families returned to their cradle land after encampment in internally displaced persons concentration camps, they depended on rainwater, wells and springs but the situation changed drastically.

Residents now are forced to trek over 3 kilometers in search for clean water. The congestion at the borehole has forced the water source committee to regulate each household to fetch only three jerry cans to reduce scrambling for water.

David Ocira, the sub county LC III chairperson revealed that during the 2019/2020 financial year, Ministry of Water and Environment earmarked 800 million shillings for establishing waters tanks to improve access of clean water in the area but the process stalled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

In Elegu town council, over 600 households are equally facing acute shortage of clean water for a period now spanning to three months after stagnant floodwater contaminated all water sources at the Uganda-South Sudan border.

Robinah Auma, a restaurant operator reveals that a 20 litre jerrycan of water is fetched in Biabia trading centre, a 12km distance away from the town council and is being sold at 2,000 shillings while those with money survive on bottled water.

Ivan Kakaire, resident of the town council working with Uganda Revenue Authority explains that the impact of the floods in Elegu is far-reaching and needs a lasting solution to bring people’s suffering to an end.

Robert Onekalit, the in-charge of Elegu health centre explains that water crisis in Elegu may cause an unprecedented outbreak of diseases citing typhoid, malaria, diarrhoea and dysentery among others as likely water-borne diseases likely to hit the area.

Amuru LCV chairperson Michael Lakony explains that the district has equally done a feasibility study in areas facing water crisis to construct between two to three more water points to respond to the crisis.

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