Water crisis persists

Public water and electricity utility, Electrogaz has started water rationing to ease on the shortages that have rocked Kigali city for at least the past one month. The persistent shortage of water in most parts of Kigali has drawn anger from its residents who have to put up with crisis, in spite of reassurances from the water and power supplier that the problem is being rectified. A spot-on mini-survey done yesterday by The New Times, showed that most suburbs, save for a few, are experiencing significant water shortages. Alberta Mutoni, a house help in the Gisozi area has to travel a distance from home to fetch water at a washing bay in Kinamba and notes that it has become an added burden to her extra household duties. “I have to carry seven heavy jerrycans everyday because the tap at home is dry. It is tough,” Mutoni said. Eliphaz Rurangirwa, the Operations and Productions Manager at Electrogaz said the utility was getting an extra 10,000 cubic metres of water from Nyabarongo river to add to the existing 33,000 cubic metres, which they hoped would close the gap. The utility has also embarked on water rationing across the city to give chance to each suburb with access to water. “Right from this minute, as we speak, until evening we will fill another pipeline (2,500 cubic metre line) from Nyabarongo to the Gisozi tanks,” says Rurangirwa. “We are working on this and, hopefully, if all goes well, in the next two days, the situation will have improved.” Though the water shortage has been attributed to the dry season, Electrogaz says demand within the city has equally grown. The country now faces a deficit of up to 22,000 cubic metres of water everyday. Ends

National

Water crisis persists