PHOTO: L-R, Supt. Janjay Baikpeh and Sen. Nyongblee Karnga-Lawrence
By King Brown, sarwahking@gmail.com
BUCHANAN, Liberia – A large number of citizens in various parts of the southern County of Grand Bassa are said to be in need of safe drinking water, and many of them have begun to raise alarm.
A survey conducted by www.newspublictrust.com has discovered that hundred locals from seven separate communities and towns in Grand Bassa County say they do not have access to safe drinking water.
They listed the lack of safe drinking water in their respective areas as one of their major challenges in addition to latrine facilities.
Recently, a two-year-old child, Mariam Guegue’s dead body was found in a creek in district one, Grand Bassa County, after he had gone to fetch drinking water. The untimely death of the child left many citizens in tears.
The WASH Commission’s Chief Executive Officer, Bobby Whitefield recently disclosed that about one million Liberians lack safe drinking water. He made the statement during the celebration of the world water day program in Monrovia, reinforcing that water is good in whatever people do. As he assures that they will leave no one behind when it comes to providing access to quality water in Liberia.
The locals are calling on local government officials and NGOs, well-meaning individuals, humanitarian organizations and philanthropists to assist them in constructing hand pumps in their areas, pointing out that hand pumps will aid them because many are compelled to use creeks and rivers for drinking water and cooking.
According to them, some of those water sources are unfortunately drying up and becoming muddy
Locals speak out
Madam Hawa Joe, Assistant Town master of David Header Town who sees the lack of safe drinking water as a crisis, said that the hand-dug well they had is no longer fit for use, so some people have resulted to drinking from the creek.
“The creeks we are drinking from now was used by rebels during the war to deposit dead bodies. The more we are drinking from the creek, we are getting sick daily, the predicament drinking from creeks cause us to suffer from running stomach, diarrhea, water borne diseases, among others,”. Assistant Town Master Hawa Joe said.
The citizens revealed that because of the lack of safe drinking water mostly in rural areas, they are living in unpleasant constraints and hardships they are faced with are overwhelming and there has been no remedy in address the challenges over the years.
“We don’t have hand pumps that would be used to get safe drinking water and avert drinking creek water. During the Liberian civil war our source of drinking water was used by the rebels to dump dead bodies as a means of destroying evidence. We are finding it hard to get safe water to drink,” Madam Joe added.
During President George Manneh Weah’s recent tour of this county and in all of his Town Hall meetings, citizens complained about the lack of safe drinking water and many other issues. But President Weah in his response expressed regret over the challenges faced by the people of Grand Bassa and urged them to join hands with their lawmakers to work together in building their county.
Mr. Emmanuel Smith, Zone Leader of Air Field Community explained for years now, they have not had the opportunity to drink from hand pump and safe wells, a condition he said is causing serious embarrassment for them.
Mr. Isaac Jackson, Assistant Town Chief of Old Road Community in Fortville, district # 2, Grand Bassa County has also raised alarm over the same situation and said each of the towns or communities that lack hand pumps has over 150 inhabitants, including their children.
Rev. Albert Samuel, elder of professional village located behind the own your own community in Buchanan said about 1-hundred and 2-seven persons including children lack safe drinking water in their area something he characterized as a big problem to them. He said the 127 individuals are residents of the National Housing Unit, a place built by the national government to assist less fortunately and under privileged parents to live.
Rev. Samuel, who spoke on behalf of the community, said that since 2011, they have been drinking from an open well that was built by the Nation Housing Unit and the current condition of the well water is not conducive anymore longer for drinking.
According to him, every time they drink from the well, they are always getting diarrheal, malaria and fever, something he said compelled them to go to the various health facilities in Buchanan for treatment daily.
The citizens also named Kpoe Town, Yorcyee Town, Gbotoe Tarr Town and Sonie – Wein Clan in district one, Grand Bassa County. According to them for over years, the lack of safe drinking water remains a major challenge to them.
Based on the ongoing situation, the citizens are calling on local government officials and NGOs, well-meaning individuals, humanitarian organizations and philanthropists to assist them with hand pumps to get safe drinking water in their areas.