Lack of water in Bujumbura City Council: what is the real problem ?

Nowadays, in some quarters of Bujumbura, a lack of water is observed. Citizens ask themselves why this happens and what responsible authorities are doing to find out solutions to the problem – by Yves Didier Irakoze

Léonidas Sindayigaya:“In the 80’s, the City Council had an estimated population of 231,000 and now people are around 800,000”©Iwacu

“We always have a problem to get water the whole day, from 6 am in the morning to 12 and sometimes to 2 pm,” complains Alain Tuyishimire living at Nyakabiga.
Another citizen living at Gihosha says that he hasn’t for many days had a shower in the morning, declares N. D. living at Gihosha.
“We people who live at Gikoto and Gisandema in Musaga Commune as well as rural Gihosha rural and Kanyosha today water is as precious as diamond,” declare many people living in those areas.

They also complain that this lack of water has an impact on their health because cases of epidemic diseases like cholera have increased and a lot of people are suffering. “We would like to know why this lack of water is noticed at a higher level than before. We don’t understand where and what the problem is,” declares Yvan Irakiza living in Bujumbura City Council.

The Director of Water in Regideso explains…

Léonidas Sindayigaya, Director of Water at REGIDESO, a Company of Water and Electricity in Burundi says that the lack of water at Bujumbura City Council is due to the extension of the city which is not proportional to the quantity of potable water in the place for the moment.

“In the 80’s, the City Council had an estimated population of 231,000 and now people are around 800,000. Then, because of the demographic problem, the quantity of water is not sufficient to cover all the areas of Bujumbura City Council,” declares Sindayigaya.

He says that they have done many things in order to have a big quantity of water by using the water pumping station two, located near the office of the National Burundian Radio and Television and strong pumps to supply the whole town.

“Many activities have already started, others are on the way. We have built a big tank of 2400 cubic meters at Gihosha. The new effort will at least help people have water,” points out Sindayigaya.

Unfortunately, he states that the quantity we have can’t satisfy completely all the people. He thinks that in the future, water will cover all the areas.

“Thanks to African Development Bank which has funded the project of the construction of the tank at Gihosha and a recent project of supplying water in Southern areas of Bujumbura City Council (Kanyosha) between Nederland and the Burundi government, as well as the Japanese coming assistance, people from Bujumbura will probably have clean and sufficient quantity of water,” declares Sindayigaya.

He calls upon people to become patient and share the quantity of water which is available today before the projects become effective.

Concerning the epidemic disease of cholera, Sindayigaya mentions that they have taken measures in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, the City Council Authority and the Red Cross to fight against the disease by providing clean water.