The residents of Maalimin and Modogashe wards in Garissa County are set to benefit from a steady water supply following the launch of the Rigdam water project consisting of a 17,600 cubic meter water pan and an eight-kilometer borehole pipeline to the villages.

The project, which was done by the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) with support from the European Union, further includes the installation of a solar-powered water pump, the provision of a high-capacity diesel generator, the construction of two water kiosks, and the installation of a chain-link fence around the water pan.

According to the NDMA Chief Executive Officer Col (rtd) Hared Adan, the Sh25 million project will serve at least 800 households and more than 11,000 livestock every day.

Speaking during the official handover of the project to the community, Adan said that by incorporating both the water pan and the borehole to supplement each other, the government was keen to ensure that the people in the area have water supply in all seasons.

The CEO at the same time appealed to the local residents to take care and protect the project infrastructure from burglary, noting that the communities stood to lose if the project was not well taken care of for Sustainability.

“The government used to do water trucking year in, year out in this stretch but by doing this investment here, the community has a reliable water infrastructure to cover the whole year.

This is a very high impact project that addresses the issue of water in this area by serving at least 800 households and more than 11,000 livestock every day. It is also in a centralized location, supporting both the Modogashe and Maalimin wards,” Adan said.

“My request to the community is that this is your water infrastructure. The government has put up this project for you to protect it for the purpose of sustainability. We are going to train the community on how to manage this infrastructure,” he added.

On El nino preparedness, Adan called on the communities especially in the Arid and Semi-arid areas to take advantage and maximize the use of the rain water, while cautioning them against going to flood risk areas that are likely to endanger their lives.

“We expect enhanced rains as a community, and this has advantages and disadvantages for us. Our water facilities are going to impound almost 100 per cent of all our water open source facilities, let us maximize the use of that water. On the other hand, as we drive, let us avoid areas where there are water run offs, rivers within this area that are likely to flood so that we protect ourselves,” he said.

Hussein Mohamed Mohamud, an elder in the rigdam village narrated how over the past years they had been forced to walk for more than 10 kilometers in search for water, sometimes loving their livestock due to thirst.

He said that the new project was a life saver for them in the community, and a sustainable water source at their village.

“Before this project, we were suffering a lot because of lack of water. With this project, we have had a steady supply of water. From May this year, we have been using the water from this pan together with our livestock,” Mohamud said.

By Erick Kyalo