By Kebba AF Touray
The Water Resource Minister, Musa Drammeh, has told the Assembly that work is expected to be completed for the commissioning of 55 boreholes.
The Fisheries and Water Resource Minister said this on Wednesday, 11 December 2024, at the assembly during a question-and-answer session with the lawmakers.
Member for Latrikunda Sabiji, Hon. Yahya Menteng Sanyang, asked the Minister to inform the Assembly of the status of his ministry’s borehole drilling projects.
Updating the assembly, the Fisheries Minister, Musa Drammeh, said that the CSRWU-WASH Project (by the African Development Bank), would provide solar-powered water supply system to all the regions in the country.
He said “Currently, 22 aluminum tanks were installed out of 55 and pipe laying completed in 46 sites. Works are expected to be completed by mid-January 2025, and the systems are planned to be commissioned in February 2025”.
On the GLF component of the boreholes, from the national budget, he said that 15 sites have been identified, procurement processes, drilling, and pipe laying have been completed, and as a result of the rainy season, they could not proceed but at present, the contractor has mobilized his team yesterday (Tuesday 10th December 2024).
Installations of the tanks and pumps, he said, will be on the 10th of December, and will be completed by the end of December 2024, the “West Coast and LRR systems will be in place and be ready for use, and they will proceed”.
Minister Drammeh said “The water has been tested and has been proven to be quality for human consumption”.
On the challenges to the implementation of the GLF component, Minister Drammeh attributed the constraints to the rainy season, as road conditions were not favorable and the procurement processes they had to undergo.
Hon. Saikou Bah, Member for Basse, asked the Minister for Fisheries and Water Resources to tell the Assembly how many water borehole projects Basse Constituency has benefited from.
Minister Drammeh, highlighted the communities in Basse where the Ministry has provided water projects
The communities he highlighted include Kanubeh, Sabi, Sareh Pirasu, Fass Bajun, Bajun Kunda Cluster, Kumbija, Baniko Kekoro, Sabusireh, Nafugan, Nafugan Pateh, Jamol, Jawandu, and Sareh Magal Cluster.
When asked by the Basse lawmaker why the communities are still requesting for water, despite the provision of water facilities to the abovementioned communities, the Minister said may be the increase in population in the communities may be responsible for the inadequate supply, but the system is in full operation in all the communities in the constituency of Basse.
