Government rolls out plan for better water access
Ms Betty Bigombe during the launch of the District Implementation Manual at Serena Hotel Kampala. Photo by Martin Ssebuyira
What you need to know:
The new plan that includes digging water reservoirs in water-stressed villages, according to the Ministry of Water and Environment, will ensure that all stakeholders dealing in water like civil society organisations and government, follow given guidelines to avoid duplication, wastage and giving communities substandard water facilities.
Government plans a 77 per cent and 100 per cent access to water in rural and urban areas respectively by 2015.
Kampala- Government yesterday rolled out a plan where at least every village in Uganda will have a water source and access clean and safe water by next year.
The new plan that includes digging water reservoirs in water-stressed villages, according to the Ministry of Water and Environment, will ensure that all stakeholders dealing in water like civil society organisations and government, follow given guidelines to avoid duplication, wastage and giving communities substandard water facilities.
“Uncoordinated approaches lead to fragmented approaches, which result in inefficient use of resources, duplication of roles and total lack of alignment with government policies,” Prof Ephraim Kamuntu, the Minister for Water and Environment said in a speech read for him by State Minister for Water Betty Bigombe.
Ms Bigombe was officiating at the launch of the revised District Implementation Manual - a guide with standards that should be followed when implementing water and sanitation projects at Serena Hotel, Kampala, yesterday.
Access to water
The minister noted that since 2005, access to improved water sources increased from 61 per cent to 64 per cent in rural areas, while in urban areas, access to water increased from 51 per cent to 70 per cent, which is way far below the national target of having 77per cent coverage in rural areas and 100 per cent in urban areas by 2015.
