CONGO: People in Congo's economic capital - Pointe Noire - struggle to find clean water

Record ID: 453056

  • Title: CONGO: People in Congo's economic capital - Pointe Noire - struggle to find clean water
  • Date: 11th January 2007
  • Summary: WOMAN IN WHITE CARRYING A METAL BAR IN HOSPITAL VARIOUS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN INSIDE WARD VARIOUS OF CHILDREN LYING ON HOSPITAL BEDS DR. ALAIN KEITA TAKING NOTES KEITA EXAMINING A CHILD (SOUNDBITE) (French) DR. ALAIN KEITA, PHYSICIAN, SAYING: "Diseases related to dirty water are first of all diarrhoea and skin diseases."
  • Embargoed: 26th January 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Congo
  • Country: Congo, Democratic Republic of
  • Topics: Health,Industry
  • Reuters ID: LVAD8SNXNRMKNCC5R0YPH2XK2D1V
  • Story Text: Pointe-Noire is the Republic of Congo's second largest city. With its busy port and reserves of petrol, it's also the country's economic capital.
    But despite its importance, Pointe-Noire is a city without one of the most basic facilities - access to water. In some neighbourhoods like Mvoumvou where Annette Ilongo lives, there hasn't been running water for weeks.
    "We really have big water problems here. Since I've moved in last September and until today, I haven't had one drop of water in the compound," she said.
    Families in the city are having a hard time coping. Even the simplest household chores are a challenge.
    "A mother needs water for the children, doing laundry and cleaning the house. Our taps are useless now because there's no water coming out of them. I'm suffering when washing the baby's nappies and the family's clothes," says Rosine Makaya, another resident of Pointe-Noire.
    "Not having electricity, well it's okay, because not everybody is using power at home. But water is life. When you buy fish or vegetables from the market, how can you cook them if you don't have water? I don't have a drop of water at home right now, how am I going to manage with the children?," added Jean Lelo, who also lives in the city.
    Civil war in 1997 left Congo's public service infrastructure in ruins. But war isn't the only reason for Pointe-Noire's problems.
    "First there was a war, and then the population of the city grew exponentially and the city expanded. Because of that, public service companies like the national water company are now having difficulties. So it's not surprising that there are water shortages," says Pascal Tchivongo, the city's Urban Planning Director.
    Not everyone is suffering in the city. The water vending industry is thriving.
    Every day, dozens of water entrepreneurs gather in the "case du parti" neighbourhood, which is situated on low grounds and so is rarely completely dry.
    "The container itself costs 4 US cents. Each jerry can of water is sold for 40 US cents, 20 US cents for the water and another 20 US cents for the delivery," says Abdel Manamika, a water vendor.
    This is a lot of money in a country where the average wage is 2 US dollars a day - and it's putting a huge strain on the population's already stretched finances.
    "We spend between 2 and 3 dollars a day on water, and this is for months at a time. It can't work like this, it's too expensive," said Jean-Claude Makaya, a Pointe-Noire resident.
    In Pointe-Noire's hospital, diseases linked to water are the third most frequent causes for admission, after malaria and respiratory diseases.
    "Diseases related to dirty water are first of all diarrhoea and skin diseases," says Dr. Alain Keita.
    While water may be hard to come by in Pointe-Noire, water bills are delivered to its residents frequently.
    "Bills keep coming in. Once, the water company agents came here because I had stopped paying. They asked me to pay for half of the bills. I said, what? It's been almost 4 years now that we haven't had water, and you want me to pay for half of the bills? Well I'm not paying" said Pointe-Noire resident, Francine Elongo.
    "To put it very simply, in some neighbourhoods we haven't had water regularly for about 20 years. On top of that, we only get power 2 days a week. So really, how can the consumers be willing to pay their bills?" said George Bayonne of the National Consumers' Association.
    The National Water Company has said it's doing all it can to improve Pointe-Noire's water crisis, but they need investment.
    "We have set up a program to improve the water distribution in the different neighbourhoods. In the market area for example, we're doing all that we can. But you know this is the old Pointe-Noire and the network has become very degraded. Some pipes were laid down between the 1950s and the 1970s so now we have to change them," said Antoine Ole of the National Water Company.
    All this means that it's going to be a very long time before households here have a reliable supply of water. In the meantime, muscle and the keen Congolese entrepreneurial spirit will have to keep Pointe-Noire's residents going.
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