People in need of fresh water

THE people of Baimuru,Gulf, are in need of clean water as the dry season continues into the New Year.
The district, which usually receives consistent rainfall throughout the year, has not had a drop since November and locals are now in need of clean drinking water, among other concerns.
Water sources such as rivers and streams have started to dry up.
Ward 14 member of Mapaio village, Lazarus Kairi, told The National that there were about 350 members in his ward and were using stored water from seven tanks.
Kairi said the tanks were provided by former governor Havila Kavo.
“We need more 1,000 litre tanks because at the moment there is a ratio of 50 people to a tank and this is not enough,” he said.
Kairi said the dry season had also affected the health of the community with more cases of diarrhoea and cough being reported.
He said gardening and fishing activities had not been affected.
However, he raised a concern that the rivers did not have the same water quality as it used to because of the LNG project up at the main river, the Purari.
“Some wastes are dumped into the river and it affects the waters that we have always survived on,” he said.
Kairi called on provincial leaders and authorities to look into assisting the people of Baimuru, especially by funding water tanks at this time.
The dry season is affecting not just Baimuru but other districts in the province as well.