Huge amounts of rainfall essentially mean a great deal of water supply. But not in Mundemba, the capital of Ndian Division in the South West Region.
By Regina Fonjia Leke
Mundemba receives more than enough share of rainfall, but ironically suffers serious inadequate supply of potable water, which leads to the second sadness; water-borne diseases.
People defecating in the many streams that traverse Mundemba and then returning to drink and bathe in the same contaminated streams is also starting to cause health concerns as they contract diseases such as cholera and typhoid. The cost to the town’s people can be counted in the huge sums of money spent at the hospital to cure themselves. Now they are asking the government to do something to redress the water crisis in Mundemba.
“The main factor causing water problems in Mundemba is the design of the water network. I made some inquiry with the people of Mines and Energy and I got their plan and I realized that the engineer who designed the plan underestimated the water needs of the population. It was designed for a population of less than 5.000 so the network was just linear. Now the population of the town has increased and the network is just centralized within the town. There is a high need to re-evaluate the population and increase the size of the pipes so that water can reach everywhere. If this is not done, the water problem in Mundemba will persist,” Ngulebah Don Ngoe, a rural engineer, told The Green Vision.
The water crisis has gone from bad to worse on Mwa Lipenja Street in Ghana Quarter, thanks to a caterpillar.
“A month ago, a council caterpillar was grading the Mwa Lipenja Street and it destroyed our pipes. After the incident, CAMWATER asked all the individuals affected to buy new pipes. Some people have bought the pipes and water supply has been reinstated. I was told my household needs two pipes costing about 10.000 francs cfa plus labour. But till now some of us have not been able to buy the pipes because to start with, we are not the ones who destroyed the pipes so we do not understand why we should pay. Because of this, we cannot have water but what is annoying is the fact that despite going without water for a month, bills still came. They claim that the air that passes through the metre shows that we have consumed water; this is funny. This is a trick to dupe us,” said Nange Nkwelle, a resident of Ghana Quarter.
According to Ngulebah Don, they have enjoyed some respite in the rainy season because they get water from the rains.
“But during the dry season, we need to travel far and buy water. A 20-litre container sometimes costs 300 francs cfa and if you have a large family you can end up spending about 1.500 frs cfa a day. For those who cannot afford to buy, they resort to streams, which are themselves contaminated. Some months back I consumed water from a well and when I travelled to school in Maroua, I was diagnosed with severe typhoid. I spent not less than 50.000 francs cfa to get cured. My case is just one of many,” said Ngulebah.
The people of Mundemba equally complain that CAMWATER’s dependency on AES Sonel for electricity to pump water is another handicap.
“Whenever there is no electricity, we do not have water. CAMWATER should be able to own its own engine to supply current to pump water,” said a resident.
To top up Mundemba’s water shortage is high bills.
“In Mundemba, bills are never commensurate to consumption. I have six family members, three bedrooms and a toilet. At times, I pay about 2.500 francs cfa after fetching water just once or twice a month. I do not know how these people come up with the bills. We understand that the machines at the CAMWATER office are dilapidated and their readings are questionable,” The Green Vision learnt.
“Mundemba people are suffering as far as water is concerned, we call on government to ensure that new machineries that can pump water to every region of Mundemba are installed lest we die of water-borne diseases,” the Mundemba people said.
