Oe-Cusse, January 29, 2025 (Média Democracia) – The Bobometo community in Oe-Cusse is still screaming about the lack of clean water even though we have been independent for 22 years, they only access clean water from a long distance with more than 1 km, just to meet their daily needs.
According to Mariana Delfina Oki, to get clean water every day they have to walk 1 km to the Welvibon spring, so every day they have to carry 3 jerrycans containing 5 liters to fill up with water to meet the family’s needs.
“So every day we have to bring 3 jerrycans containing 5 liters, if it is more than that our energy is not enough because from the water source to go home we have to cross the mountain for about 1 hour just to get home, so we use the 3 jerrycans for cooking, washing dishes, and drinking. This is the obstacle we face in Saben sub-village,” She said.
She continued, this problem has been happening for years in the Saben community, they always fill up water at the Welvibon water source but the distance is quite far from home, because it takes about an hour to get to the water source.
“So far we have been using water from the Welvibon spring for eating and drinking, but to wash clothes and bathe we have to walk to the river, because the river water is cannot sustain for daily needs because there are some people who live near the river and there are also animals that make the river dirty so we only use the water for bathing and washing clothes.” She added.
She added that her party also wanted to provide recommendations to related parties, especially the government, to pay more attention to the problem of clean water, because they have been facing this problem for years, so that in the future they are expected to be able to get clean water properly.
As the Head Department of the Oe-Cusse Water and Sanitation Service (SAS), Yosep Ili responded to the clean water problem that the Saben sub-village community has been facing, but in 2021 drilling has been carried out in the Noelekta River with a two-tank Bomba and will be continued with the construction of another tank to be distributed to the Saben sub-village community.
“From 2020 to 2021 we drilled in the Noelekta river with a total fund of more than 300 to drill two tanks in 2023, we also continue to provide funds to build other tanks to be distributed to the Saben community. One tank will be distributed to the Oe-Cusse villa and another in Noelekta will be distributed to the community in the Tumin sub-village.” He said.
He continued, regarding the Saben community, so far the work is still ongoing and Bomba is still running and the technical team will open the distribution of clean water for the community in Saben sub-village according to the schedule which is once a week, to serve the needs during the dry season.
“So far, Water and Sanitation Services started in 2000 until now related to the programs and systems implemented by SAS in Oe-Cusse, Ambeno with a total of 180 programs, but of these programs there are more than 50 that are still running.” Said the Head Department of the SAS.
To explain better that in Bobometo Village in Oe-Cussi, Ambeno has a population of 9951 people from 2386 families based on the 2022 census data.
Reported by : Nelfiano
Picture by : Nelfiano