PHOTO: A non-functional hand pump erected many years ago
By Emmanuel S. Koffa, emmanuelkoffa506@gmail.com
0775401123/0886022581
BARCLAYVILLE, Liberia- Fact finding by this Reporter has revealed that hundreds of inhabitants of Wutuken Town, Upper Barclayville City here in Grand Kru County are still fetching drinking water from creeks, due to the lack of hand pump facilities, thus exposing them to health risk.
Grand Kru, home County of current President George Manneh Weah, is one the newest of the 15 counties of Liberia, which is this Tuesday, July 26, 2022 celebrating its 175th anniversary as black Africa’s oldest independent Republic.
According to the locals in this area, they have been faced with challenges in getting safe drinking water, amidst rampant gold mining activities’ in and around of its environs.
Wutuken town is one of the remote communities surrounded by creeks, river in Grand Kru, which is about nine hours walk from the County capital, Barclayville, with an estimated population of more than one thousand.
Community dwellers in the area confirmed that hand pumps which were constructed decades ago by the County’s authority to provide safe drinking water for the community have since damaged. But to date, there have been no intervention in repairing the damaged hand pumps, something they termed as a major challenge that should claim the attention of national and international organizations.
The community (Wutuken) is part of the Gbalakpo nine (9) communities of Felorken, the home town of former representative Grand Kru District #2 and current Senator of Grand Kru, Numene T.H. Bartekwa.
They alarmed over constrained of distances about 20-25 minutes’ walk to fetch water from creeks for drinking and some domestic purposes which poses a serious health hazard to the community.
Residents furthered that it is unfortunate that they are painfully compelled to return to the backward fetching water from creek for drinking in this 21st century continue, something they said has been brought to the attention of authorities for intervention through the media for a long time, but to no avail.
It may be recalled that the current Representative Fonati Koffa broke grounds recently for the construction of thirty-three (33) hand pumps, which amounted to the total cost of US$106,228 in an effort to address the issues of lack of safe drinking water in the district, first of its kind in the history ofGrand Kru.
Some of the communities to benefit include Felorken Henryville City, Small Suehn Gbuken, Big Suehn, Topoh community, Big Flenneken, all of the Kplio administrative district in Grand Kru.
Others are; Kpoe, Nyenkupo, Barforwin, and New Town.
The Wutuken residents are meanwhile, calling on the Liberian government and humanitarian institutions to rescue them from this situation to prevent a looming outbreak of water-borne diseases.