Galkayo Water Supply Installation Complete

[miles-militis]

Galkayo Water Supply Installation Complete - Thursday, November 06, 2003 at 04:37

 

Galkayo (Yamayska)– Galkayo city water supply installation, a million and half collaborative project spanning over a period of 38 months partnered by the Puntland State Agency for Energy and Natural Resources (PSAWEN), European Union and UNICEF was effectively consummated earlier on Saturday morning.

 

At the opening ceremony, Abdillahi Yussuf Ahmed, the President of Puntland State of Somalia who cut the ribbon took a sip of the first sweet drops of water from taps, and hailed the project a success and one of immense value for the people of the State, Galkayo in particular. Extending his visit to a residential area of the city where pipe installations were being undertaken, Mr Yussuf called upon the people of Galkayo to preserve the pipelines, manage water consumption, and to assist PSAWEN engineers with the maintenance and evaluation of the project.

 

Galkayo is the third city in Puntland State where similar city water supply installation projects had been successfully implemented after Bosaso and Qardho with Garowe, State capital in almost in its final stages. Plans to break ground for Lascanod in Sool are being studied .

 

The second most populous city in the State, Galkayo is one of the fastest emergent cities in terms of development, growth in commerce and telecommunication. However, like other cities in the region, obtaining clean drinking water had remained a problem. The city is situated in an area where water is naturally full of chloride rendering water salty not suitable for drinking or cooking unless treated with agents, distilled, sand filtered, or applied with reverse Osmosis all of which require highly specialised machinery, equipment and energy.

 

Residents thrilled at the prospect of clean, drinking water in their households and commercial locations, at a time when drought and water shortage contributed to the delayed Dayr rainy season had severely impacted rural terrain in some regions, hailed the project a life-saving one. Locals primarily relied on water from wells dug in midst of their homes. A mother whose home our reporter visited noted in excitement as to how relieved she was that no longer will she have to worry about her health or her family’s, buying or carrying drinking water from the local wells. “God may bless and reward those who made the project possible” she added.

 

Our local reporter at the opening ceremony conversed with engineers Abdirazak Burgal and Ali Islam Abdulle who had been spearheading the project from its planning to implementation to its evaluation phases.

 

Asked of its management and ownership, engineer Burgal stated that “Although the right of ownership is governmental and a public one, overall management will rest in the hands of Galkayo Water Authority (GALWA). Citizens could be stakeholders in accordance with State law, but the day-to-day supervision, maintenance, and safety of the city water will be managed by GALWA. PSAWEN on its part will continue to work with GALWA and local authority in assuring that local residents get clean drinking water at a reasonable rate. Our focus will also be to create public awareness as far as germs and viruses that spread with water consumption are concerned. And whatever it takes to prevent any such germs and viruses sneak into drinking water, we will be operating at consultative capacity as needed.”

 

As for future expansion and extending services to the outskirts of the city, engineer Burgal added that over the last two months they managed to complete water installation in 500 residential homes, and plan to further increase the pace until every house in the city of Galkayo has access to clean drinking water .

 

AllPuntland News Desk