MP donates Sh8m pipes to end water dispute

Gichugu MP Njogu Barua (holding a microphone) hands over Sh8 million water pipes to the management committee of the Ngariama/Njukiine water project at Mbiri market yesterday to improve the current water system in the area. [PHOTO: MUNENE KAMAU/STANDARD]

Gichugu MP Njogu Barua has waded into the battle for the control of water supply pitting Ngariama and Njukiine wards residents, donating Sh8 million water pipes.

Barua also promised to give out more funds to expand the five existing water intakes built in 1978 as well as improve on the pipe volume.

Residents of the two wards have been engaged in physical battles over the water supply, which has been scarce. At one time, the dispute ran out of control and the residents destroyed most of the water pipes and reservoirs.

At one time in 2012, the entire water system was destroyed, leaving major institutions without the essential commodity.
It took the intervention of the Tana Water Services Board Chief Executive Officer Moses Naivasha to solve the crisis after boarding schools and several Health centres were cut off from the system.

Njukiine residents, who occupy the lower side of the region, have been claiming their upper side counter parts use the domestic water for irrigation, leaving no water flowing downwards in the system.

Long battle

Tuesday, Barua said given that there are more than 6,000 households which will benefit from the project, more funds were required in order to build three more intakes and also expand the existing ones.

“Now that residents of the two wards have come to a consensus that the water shortage was being occasioned by the small intakes and low volume flow of the commodity, the long battle has ended amicably, with the Constituency Development Fund coming in to assist with the provision of money required for the expansion of the existing water supply systems,” said the legislator.

Addressing the residents at Mbiri market when he handed over the pipes to the project management committee, Barua said the implementation should be completed by June next year.

The legislator said it was ironic that the residents are suffering from such an acute water shortage, yet all the gigantic rivers pass through the area, while only building of the intakes and piping was required to have the commodity flowing through gravity to their homes.