Villages get clean water

By ZACHERY PER
YEARS of walking long distances to access clean water for over 6000 people in three major villages in the Lower Bena area of Eastern Highlands is now a thing of the past.
A new water supply for the villagers was launched last Tuesday.
Governor Julie Soso, Tablelands Water and Sanitation managing director Livingstone Mangero and Lower Bena LLG president Robert Kutupa turned on the taps to allow fresh water to flow into Segoya, Hofagayufa and Sogomi villages.
Women, children and people cheered as they finally had fresh water flowing to their village.
The water supply was among six community impact projects that were launched last week.
While turning the taps on for the water supply coming from the top of Mt Segoya to Hofagayufa and Sogomi village, Kutupa  thanked Soso for supporting the project with K213,000.
He acknowledged Tableland Water and Sanitation for the implementation of the water supply project, bringing fresh and clean water to the door steps of the people.
Company managing director Mangero presented the certificate of completion and the expenditure report of the project fund to Soso.
The project was supervised by health and safety standards officers James Pok and Martin Melton from the Eastern Highlands provincial health authority.
Mangero said water sourced from Mt Segoya was fed to nine hamlets, five elementary schools, Hofagayufa Primary School and several churches.
“The project was started in June this year and completed in mid-August,” Mangero said.
“We ran the pipes and taps for over eight kilometres.
“The water will also be connected to new Unggai-Bena district headquarters at Lahame hill.”
Soso commended the company for completing the work which brought relief to the people.
She presented K10,000 to water resource owners at Mt Segoya for sourcing the water from their area.
“I expect to travel to every part of the eight districts to commission community development projects,” Soso said.
“I applaud Kutupa for funding the impact projects.”