COVID-19 pandemic: The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) partners with MTN to provide water to underserved areas
The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) and MTN Uganda have made a partnership to construct 23 water points aimed at supplying water to underserved areas of Kampala during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The initiative comes in as a result of increased demand for water because of COVID-19 outbreak which requires frequent use of water for washing hands, yet some areas experience a shortage of water supply.
To bridge the gap, MTN Uganda partnered with NWSC to provide enough water to underserved areas around Kampala in the fight to avert the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
“NWSC is so grateful for this partnership with MTN Uganda to provide water to the water-stressed areas during this COVID-19 outbreak as water is an important input for fighting diseases, NWSC is committed to providing water to all people in such a situation,” Dr Eng. Silver, Mugisha, the Managing Director NWSC said.
“We plan to construct 100 water points aimed at supplying these people especially those people who get no water in the Northern Eastern part of Kampala. And we’re doing this to relief this situation amidst this epidemic when everybody needs water to wash hands,” Mugisha added.
10,000-litre capacity tanks will be distributed to those areas that relatively have low water supply or no water at all. And the water will be supplied on the official NWSC taps at as low as 25shs per 20 litre Jerry Can.
“220 million Uganda Shillings and this money are going to help us to buy the water dispensing equipment and also to construct these 23 water points,” Mugisha noted.
In their estimate over 30,000 households will benefit from this joint water intervention. Particularly areas of Kyengera (Nagalabi-Kisozi), Wakiso-Kikoro, Mukono-Kasenge, Seeta (Kagala-Bukelele), Kyaliwajjala, Kijabijjo, Kiteezi, Kiryagonja, (Bulindo-Kira-Nsasa-Kilyamuli), Matugga-Buwuzume, Bulenga-Ganda-Bulenga, Kyebando Central, Gayaza, Nateete, Upper Nalumunye, Nansana, Kireka-Kamuli, Wakiso-Ssenge, Nansana-Gganda, Namagoma, Mukono-Nakapinyi, Ndejje-Gganda, Najjanankumbi-Kitiko among other areas.
“Water points we’re going to put operators there that are going to be guided by the standard operating procedures that means leaving a distance and also wearing the PPE material,” Mugisha said.
The MTN Uganda Chief Executive Officer, Wim Vanhelleputte says this plan and other initiatives already in place demonstrates MTN’s commitment to support and help Ugandans.
“MTN believes that the resilience of communities is strongest when people work together. That is why MTN, working through institutions like NWSC, is supporting the delivery of much-needed water to underserved areas in the fight to avert a COVID-19 pandemic in the country,” Vanhellepute said.
“So, this initiative of 23 water points could make a difference in thousands of people’s lives because washing your hands without water is very difficult, “he added.
National Water and Sewage Corporation are currently undertaking the construction of a water treatment plant in Katosi, in the East of Kampala.
The first phase will be completed in January 2021 and it will be able to serve about 160 million litres of water per day.
Currently, Kampala water produce 240 million litres of water per day yet the peak demand stands at 300 million, so to meet the demand for water, NWSC opted to construct the Katosi water plant.
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