The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has constructed eight mechanised boreholes in seven communities in the Karaga Municipality in the Northern Region to improve access to potable water and address longstanding water challenges facing residents.
The beneficiary communities which are Tong, Asafuyili, Fatelantili, Zinyeli, Bagurugu, Zandua and Kopkiliga, have over the years struggled to access safe and reliable drinking water, relying largely on unsafe water sources for their domestic needs.
The mechanised boreholes are expected to serve both community members and Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds in the beneficiary communities, thereby improving access to potable water, enhancing sanitation and public health and reducing the incidence of waterborne diseases.
The intervention forms part of the PURC's Pro-Poor Social Intervention Programme, which seeks to expand access to safe drinking water in underserved rural communities across the country.
Handing over the facilities at a brief ceremony at Tong, the Northern Regional Public Relations Officer of PURC, Mohammed Awal Khalilillahi, said the project formed part of the commission's commitment to ensuring equitable access to potable water, particularly in deprived and underserved communities.
He said access to safe drinking water was fundamental to improving public health, sanitation and socio-economic development, adding that the commission would continue to implement interventions that positively impacted the lives of vulnerable populations.
He indicated that the Pro-Poor Social Intervention Programme was designed to complement government's efforts to bridge the gap in access to essential utility services in rural communities.
Commendation
The Deputy Coordinating Director of the Karaga Municipal Assembly, Mashud Alhassan, who represented the Municipal Chief Executive, commended PURC for the intervention and assured the commission that the assembly would provide the necessary oversight to ensure the proper use and maintenance of the facilities.
The water project
He appealed to the PURC and other development partners to continue supporting development initiatives aimed at improving the living conditions of people in the municipality.
Beneficiaries
Some residents who spoke to the Daily Graphic expressed gratitude to PURC for the intervention, describing the mechanised boreholes as timely and life-changing.
They said the project would significantly reduce the burden of travelling long distances in search of water, improve household sanitation and healthcare delivery at the CHPS compounds and reduce their dependence on unsafe water sources.
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