WATER SCARCITY IN OYAM TOWN COUNCIL DISRUPTS DAILY LIFE AND BUSINESSES
Men pictured fetching water from an unsafe water source in Oyam Town Council on Sunday Morning. Photo by Ambrose Okai
By Ambrose Okai
Oyam
For nearly two months, residents of Oyam Town Council have relied on streams and boreholes for domestic water needs due to unstable piped water supplies.
This crisis has disrupted numerous businesses, particularly those reliant on consistent water availability.
Stalon Olong, Chairperson of the Oyam Town Council Business Community, said the extent of business disruption is high.
"The prolonged water shortages has disrupted businesses across the town council, particularly those that rely heavily on water for their daily operations," Olong said.
He also said there is need for action, "It's becoming increasingly difficult for businesses to sustain operations under these conditions, and we are going to meet the management of Umbrella Water-Oyam to know the problem and take action so that this crisis is addressed."
Schools have also been severely affected. At Oyam Junior School, the head teacher, Morish Otyia said the administration is forced to fetch water from sources 2 kilometers away, incurring significant costs.
"The school has been forced to spend 120,000 Shillings every week just on fuel to fetch water from sources 2 kilometers away. This water crisis has also drained our financial resources and impacting the students’ learning environment,"Otyia said.
Oyam Couple using Motorcycle to collect water from far
distance as water crisis hit Oyam Town Council.
Photo by Ambrose Okai
The Northern Umbrella of Water and Sanitation (NUWS), which manages piped water systems in rural and urban areas across Northern Uganda, oversees the town’s water supply.
But Efforts to reach the Northern Umbrella of Water and Sanitation Oyam Branch manager for comments on water restoration have so far been unsuccessful.
However, Nelson Oloa, Chairperson of the Oyam Branch Water Board, attributed the crisis to frequent power blackouts.
"The constant power blackouts are the main cause of the water supply interruptions we've been experiencing. We are hopeful that the Northern Umbrella’s plan to adopt solar power.
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