Government unveils Masalani water project

Erick Kyalo-KNA

The National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) has unveiled a 20.3million water project in Masalani Town. The project, implemented by the NDMA from the National Drought Emergency Fund NDEF is set to benefit at least 2,300 households in Masalani.

The initiative aims at ending the acute scarcity of the precious commodity in the area. This includes constructing a 4.4-kilometre pipeline, installing a 120,000-litre elevated steel water tank, and establishing a water kiosk.

It will benefit residents in Sarman, Qalanqal, and Bulla Saudi villages, as well as 600 learners in nearby schools and madrassas. As such, the initiative will ease the burden on women and children, improve household health and support better school attendance, while at the same time strengthening local institutions.

The initiative is a key intervention that will significantly improve access to clean water and strengthen drought resilience for the residents, said the Principal Secretary, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and Regional development, Harsama Kello.

“The government is committed to strengthening resilience in arid and semi-arid areas, which have endured harsh effects of recurring droughts, affecting not just the people and livestock, but also education, health and livelihood activities,” he said during the commissioning of the project.

“Water has been a challenge in the Arid and Semi-Arid areas, but with this new project here in Masalani today, more than 12,000 people will be benefiting from access to clean water,” he said.

The water will not only help in the villages for domestic use but also reach students in schools. It will give the community an opportunity to start kitchen gardens, grow food and trees and provide a water point for the livestock.

The NDMA CEO Col. (Rtd.), Hared Adan said, the project is a part of the larger strategy to reduce vulnerability, build resilience and move from response to readiness.

The beneficiaries have been called upon to take full responsibility and protect the project from damage and burgling.

Garissa Deputy Governor, Abdi Dagane said, the county government has made allocations in the next financial year’s budget to extend the project to the other parts of the Ijara sub county.

This project comes as a relief to the residents of Masalani who have experienced perennial water shortages, especially due to lack of water intake pumping machines and treatment plants despite its proximity to River Tana, which is approximately 4.5 kilometers.