- Title: CAMEROON: Acute water shortage in Cameroon blamed on ageing infrastructure
- Date: 6th March 2010
- Summary: WATER HOSE POLICE FILL UP BUCKETS WITH HOSE (SOUNDBITE) (English) FON RICHARD, YAOUNDE RESIDENT, SAYING: "It's about three weeks now that we do not have water in Emana. I don't think other quarters have the same problem like us." GIRL OPENING TAP WITH NO WATER COMING OUT CLOSE OF TAP (SOUNDBITE) (French) MICHAEL NGAKO TOMDO, MINISTER OF ENERGY AND WATER, SAYING: "Th
- Embargoed: 21st March 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Cameroon
- Country: Cameroon
- Topics: Domestic Politics,Energy
- Reuters ID: LVAF0XIV2W7055O84TU9QYAETL8X
- Story Text: Residents of two of Cameroon's biggest cities Yaounde and Douala, are facing a worsening water shortage that some say is the worst ever.
Pipe water has not flowed in some neighbourhoods for six months. The water shortage that has been affecting mostly areas on the fringes of the towns is now more widespread touching the heart of the administrative and key economic towns.
Throughout the month of February, in Yaounde, the government had been rationing water in an attempt to ensure an even distribution of the limited supplies.
Some neighbourhoods get a trickle of water twice every week, and often late at night.
Residents queue up day and night at streams, in most of the valleys of Yaounde to fetch water for drinking and home use.
In other parts of the city, they queue up behind water distribution trucks, while some individuals have been re-selling water at more than twice the cost to desperate residents.
"It's about three weeks now that we do not have water in Emana. I don't think other quarters have the same problem like us," said Fon Richard, a Yaounde resident.
A 20 litre jug of water can be sold at 100 CFAF (0.21 US dollars).
Statistics from Cameroon's Water and Energy ministry indicate that only three percent of Cameroon's 18 million people have access to clean water.
But Michael Ngako Tomdo, Cameroon's Minister of Energy and Water acknowledges that part of the problem is the ageing infrastructure.
"The ageing of the existing water infrastructure equipment has worsened. The newly built neighbourhoods have increased and are built far from the main water plant. The extension of the water plant for water distribution did not follow along the development of urbanisation," said Tomdo.
According to a company in charge of the production and distribution of water in the country, la Camerounaise des Eaux, (CDE), the city of Yaoundé requires a daily water supply of 160,000 cubic meters.
But the Nkomnyala treatment station, which supplies the city of Yaounde, produces only 100,000 cubic meters of water.
Cameroon's government now plans to step up national access to clean water from 29 percent to 60 percent by 2025.
In January this year, the Cameroon government signed two conventions; one with the French Development Agency, the other with the European Development Bank worth a total of 65 billion CFAF (130 million US dollars).
The money will be used to improve water supply to five townships in Cameroon: Yaounde, Douala, Bertoua, Ngaoundere and Edea.
According to state owned company, Cameroon Water Utilities (CAMWATER), which is responsible for scouting for finances, the fresh investments will raise the supply in Douala from 105,000 cubic metres per day to 280,000 cubic meters a day and in Yaounde from 100,000 cubic meters a day to 250,000 cubic meters a day.
CAMWATER is also planning an elaborated a 10-year investment programme worth over 400 billion CFAF (approx. 800 million US dollars).
Work begins in 10 local administrative districts in 2010.
Officials say the current efforts fall in line with the much trumped up 'greater ambitions' development program announced by Cameroon's president Paul Biya. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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