Twelve families from Micobie in Region Eight will soon benefit from the distribution of water tanks to store water, signifying the government’s mandate of ensuring everyone has sufficient access to water, regardless of their location.
This announcement was made by the Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, during a meeting in the community on Monday. The minister is currently conducting a four-day outreach in the region.
Minister Rodrigues said that providing water tanks is a short-term intervention for the families connected to the water system. She explained that to provide a consistent supply of water to families, work will commence shortly to expand the community’s water supply system.
During the meeting, it was highlighted that the recently commissioned well in Micobie is providing poor water quality and low productivity.
“We will definitely have to do an assessment here and another well in this community. The [new] is still not servicing everybody,” she said, adding that the government is ensuring that access to clean and reliable water is provided to all the residents.
Water supply system to undergo rehabilitation at El Paso
To ensure residents of El Paso have adequate access to clean water, work will begin tomorrow to rehabilitate the existing water supply system.
During the meeting at the community Benab, Minister Rodrigues said that a new well is in the pipeline for the community and noted that three attempts were made to drill a well.
She explained that the entire catchment system will be excavated and a larger casing will be installed. This, she said, will supplement the well system until a new well can be drilled there.
Within two weeks, she revealed that a Brazilian contractor would visit the area to conduct a resistivity logging to determine the best location to drill a new well in El Paso.
“I want to assure the people of El Paso that we have not given up on drilling a new well in the community,” she said to the residents.
Reaffirming the government’s 100 per cent potable water coverage by year-end, Minister Rodrigues stated, “We will continue to drill wells in communities that are not being serviced optimally…”
Housing Development
While responding to Micobie’s request for the housing programme to be undertaken there, Minister Rodrigues noted that several communities in the region have already been earmarked for houses to be constructed under the hinterland housing programme.
Communities like Karisparu, Muruwau, Kaibarupai and Tuseneng will benefit from the construction of 10 houses each.
“We are going to help everybody, but we have to do it in a phased way. We have started, and Micobie is definitely one of those villages that we will address very soon,” she revealed.
She told the communities that they could utilise the $3 million housing grant that was announced by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali to make necessary repairs on the houses, especially for vulnerable families.
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