Maintain boreholes for constant water supply, Garissa residents told

Garissa residents have been urged to responsibly run community boreholes to ensure constant water supply and proper maintenance.

Water executive Abdi Omar on Tuesday said it is the responsibility of residents to ensure the machines are well-maintained. He spoke in Libahlow in Balambala.

He was in Libahlow to officially hand over a new borehole to the local community. The borehole was drilled through the county's Water Supply Project.

Omar said the county government has repaired all boreholes that had broken down to address the water shortage.

Dried-up pans had exerted pressure on permanent water sources such as boreholes, resulting in over-concentration of livestock and human that often caused breakdowns.

The Lobahlow borehole was drilled through a partnership programme by the county government and Water Trust Fund.

"This is not an ordinary water project since a solar-powered shallow borehole with a hybrid system of a standby diesel generator is pumping water from the dry river bed," Omar said.

He said the project had enough water storage tanks and three water kiosks placed at various strategic points for ease of access.

Omar who was with county attorney Ismail Aden Dabar, asked Balambala deputy subcounty administrator Abdiwahid Mohamed and Libahlow chief Aden Hassan to help the local community elect a committee that will officially take over the management of the facility.

He also announced the extension of the water project to Togob center, some 11km away.

The executive noted that the success of getting enough water from Libahlow dry river bed raised hopes of the successful implementation of a similar project in Madogashe town that relies on the dry Togweyne riverbed.

 

Edited by P.O