NWSC wants more Shs3b to boost water supply

The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) has asked the Parliamentary committee on Natural resources to help fix back the Shs3 billion that was cut from its 2020/2021 budget as a result of Covid-19 to help boost water supply.

While addressing the parliamentary committee at Katosi Water Project in Mukono District on Thursday, NWSC managing director, Dr Silver Mugisha said their water supply will not meet their target because their annual budget was affected.

"It came in as the general cuts to deal with Covid-19. Fortunately it is not too much but will reduce on what to deliver," Dr Mugisha said.

He said the water body needs the support of the legislators since they oversee its works.

The committee chairperson who doubles as West Budama South MP in Tororo District, Emmanuel Otala said Katosi water project was a successful and has been executed in time with the infrastructure put in place.

Dr Otala said government needs to allocate additional resources to enable the water body fulfill its mandate.

"The Shs3 billion cut wouldn't have happened in the first place because water is life and yet we were encouraging people to wash hands," Dr Otala said.

The shadow minister for Natural resources and woman MP for Kibooga District Ms Christine Kaaya called on the water body to extend their services to town councils and new cities to help people get clean water.

"The service providers in town councils have helped in supplying water but it’s expensive and maintenance is a challenge," Ms Kaaya said.

The Katosi water treatment plant has been completed and expected to pump 160,000 cubic meters (160 million litres) of water daily, expandable to 240,000 cubic meters (240 million liters) daily.

The water treatment facility has been under construction in the lake side town of Katosi in Ntenjeru sub-county Mukono district since in 2019. In 2011, government through NWSC began to make plans to construct a water treatment facility at Katosi, to augment the facility at Ggaba to meet the needs of the rapidly growing population of Kampala metropolitan area.

Eng Badru Kiggundu, the board chairman NWSC said Katosi plant will help supply enough water to Kampala and the surrounding areas.

"It was a dream that has come true. We now have sufficient water and there are no more dry areas," Eng Kiggundu said.