By Mabinty M. Kamara
Joseph Munda Sandi, Managing Director of Sierra Leone Water Company (SALWACO), has launched the Social Involving Connection in Bo and Kenema as a way of meeting the company’s mandate, which is to provide safe and pure water in the provinces.
''The Social Involving Connection is affordable for the less privileged and the need for People of Kenema and Bo city to go through this social involving connection and take ownership of the project. The water provision under this project is reliable, affordable and safe for drinking", Sandi said, according to a press statement issued by SALWACO.
Sandi noted that with the project they hoped to reach over 2200 connections over the next two months.
In his address, he urged community members to take full charge of the project and ensure the safety of the infrastructure.
Water and Sanitation Engineer at SALWACO, Sahr Sinah, said: “The water we provide is purer than sachet water and it is also very cheap. Let us take advantage of this opportunity and make the best use of it.”
Mathew Sahr Nyuma, Member of Parliament of Constituency 19 in the Kenema District, said in his statement that the project would provide reliable and pure water service for the district.
He praised SALWACO’s service for being cheap.
Residents in the two districts rely mainly on hand dug water wells as their source of water.
Boston Munda, another lawmaker from the district, said:
"Pipe borne water has not been in existence for years in Kenema and most of the people consume water from the well. Most of these wells are not chlorinated, exposing the people to cholera and other water borne diseases.’’
Thomas Baio, Mayor of Kenema City, said the city had not had pipe borne water because the water infrastructure had been damaged for a very long time.
“This project will now take away all of these challenges and the council will make sure the project becomes a success and sustained,” Mayor Baio said.
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