River Nile villages to get clean water

Oct 26, 2010

BUJAGALI Energy Limited (BEL), the firm overseeing the construction of the Bujagali hydro-electric power dam in Jinja district, has partnered with the National Water and Sewerage Corporation to extend clean tap water to residents in the area.

By Frank Mugabi

BUJAGALI Energy Limited (BEL), the firm overseeing the construction of the Bujagali hydro-electric power dam in Jinja district, has partnered with the National Water and Sewerage Corporation to extend clean tap water to residents in the area.

BEL’s social and environment team leader, Dr. Emmanuel Beraho, said the initiative that will cost sh2.2b, will cover nine villages on the eastern and western banks of the Nile.

He disclosed that the laying of the water pipes had started and would be completed soon.

“This project has excited the residents because there is a big problem of access to clean water, which causes health and hygiene issues such as contracting waterborne diseases,” Beraho said.

He was addressing the new French ambassador to Uganda, Aline Kuster-Menager, who visited the construction site on Friday.

The waterline project is among the community benefit projects, which the French government is funding through the French Development Agency (FDA) as part of the Bujagali hydro-electric power project.

Others are the afforestation programme and the rural electrification project.

Beraho said apart from easing the burden on women and children who usually have to search for water, the project will make water affordable to the community.

Currently, a jerrycan of water goes for sh200, but when the project is completed, NWSC will offer the same for as low as sh20.

The ambassador and the new regional AFD director, Yves Terracol, inspected the afforestation programme at Namirembe village in Kayunga district where they met members of the Kayunga Ecosystem Tree Planting and Maintenance Association.

Beraho said BEL had planted trees on over 444 hectares on the east and west banks of the river to curb soil erosion.

He disclosed that the community had been given over 90,000 seedlings of indigenous timber and fruit trees, which had been planted in their gardens.

Kuster-Menager commended the social and environmental programmes on clean water, afforestation and the upcoming rural electrification project.

She said the projects would improve the welfare of the affected communities as well as address environmental concerns.
She pledged her government’s commitment to compete the power project.

The 250MW Bujagali Hydropower project is in its third year of construction and the first unit generation is expected in the third quarter of 2011.

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