The
population of the community of Nicolope, in the Administrative Post of Insaca,
Mecanhelas, in Niassa, northern Mozambique, consumes unsafe water that they
fetch from long distances, due to the breakdown of the water borehole nearly 2
years ago.
The
borehole was constructed in 2019 by a private company focused on agriculture.
The borehole broke down in 2023 after being flooded due to heavy rains.
According
to residents, there have been several attempts to contract repairs, but the
severity of the problem exceeds the community's capacity to fix it.
“We
tried to repair it, but it wasn’t possible,” said Angelina Jonasse, a resident
of Nicolope.
“We
contributed 50Mt each, many repairmen came, but they couldn't fix it,” added
Eugénio Mpessa.
As
a result of the breakdown, the population is forced to travel long distances to
access water from open wells, which are dug in swamps. In addition to the
distance, the water is not safe for human consumption. The situation worsens
during the dry season, when the household wells dry up.
"When
our wells dry up, we go to the swamp to fetch water. It hasn't been good water
to drink, but there has been no alternative," lamented Anastasia Nampula,
a resident of the same community.
Angelina
Jonasse further stated that the water consumed during the dry season, from open
wells, has been causing health issues.
The
residents are unanimously calling on the authorities to resolve the issue as
soon as possible.
"We
want the government to repair the borehole so it can work again, so we can
consume clean water," they demanded.
The
community leader, Natalino Runade, said he has informed the authorities about
the problem. However, to date, there has been no satisfactory
response.
According
to the leader, the community has more than 350 families and has a primary
school, making a functional borehole indispensable. (Jaime Paculeque)
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