By Assan Bah
Residents of Tabokoto / Piccadilly junction on Thursday August 4th 2022, renewed their calls for the nation’s utility company NAWEC, to restore their taps to solve the water problems within the area.
Ba Foday Keita, a resident of Tabokoto said they have witnessed water issues that affects their daily lives for many years now.
“We have not been getting water from NAWEC for many years now. I have a meter in my home but it is more than six months now since I last had water. The only thing I see on my meter is rental meaning, NAWEC is renting the meter. However I do not get water every month they always bring me a bill of one hundred or more dalasi, as rental,” he said; that at that time, they sometimes get water very late at night and in the early hours of the morning which was even better. But that now, he can say that this has stopped for the past eight years; that they no longer get water from NAWEC; that there was a programme which used to be hosted by GRTS where Nani Juwarah will come as a guest, we used to call to tell them the problems we are faced with in our area, but the only response we used to have from them was that the project will come, but up to date, we cannot get water from them. He said water is the source of life and that they get assistance from their neighbours who help them with water. He called on NAWEC to restore the water supply in their area.
Keita, who said he has been living in Tabocoto for over five decades, said they have suffered for long now.
Sally Ndure, also a resident, said since she moved to the area they have been witnessing acute water shortage from NAWEC.
“We are only using boreholes from our neighbouring compounds. Our neighbours who dug boreholes provide us with taps outside,” she said, adding that they open their boreholes at 10am up to 6pm.
“When you check our taps, you will doubt if they ever bring out water. All their meters have now rusted because there is no passage of water. We are tired of this because when they open their taps in the early hours of the morning, we have to wake up and fetch water for our daily activities,” Ndure said.
Oumie Kebbeh, a borehole owner, said they do not use their borehole to drink because the taste is not suitable for drinking.
“We go up to the main highway with our children to fetch water to drink because our borehole is almost undrinkable. We use cash power to have water in the tanks and all that is difficult or expensive to sustain,” she said.
When contacted to shed light on the above lamentations from their customers, Buba Badjie, the Communications and Public Relations Supervisor, said NAWEC is aware of the problem at the said area, and they are working to address the problem.
“We are aware of the intermittent water supply in the said area due to high demand and sometimes intermittent disruptions in the production and distribution of supplies. Recognisant of the problem, NAWEC with key stakeholders have identified the following solutions to improve supply in order to meet the demand by embarking on projects to increase water production. NAWEC in collaboration with PURA, is working on a project to increase supply from Kaw Junction to Piccadilly area,” he said, and disclosed that they have already identified a contractor for the job.
“We are waiting for the rains to subside for the implementation because the project involves cutting through the Brikama highway, and the laying and linking of the parallel mains along the road,” Badjie said.
