Boreholes the solution to Nairobi’s water crisis – VIDEO
Nairobi City County has partnered with the Ministry of Water to dig more than 40 boreholes to ease the current water crisis in the city.
While addressing a joint press conference on Thursday at Maji House, Water CS Eugene Wamalwa said the drilling of the boreholes will be completed in three months and his ministry will foot Sh100 million, while the county will provide the rest of the amount.
“Nairobi is a water-stressed county, after water levels in Ndakaini Dam dropped. We will be drilling 40 boreholes at a cost of Sh200 million to mitigate the acute water shortage as we wait for the long rains,” Wamalwa said.
He added that the county will have more than 10 rigs availed from the NYS and the military to ensure works start as soon as possible to recharge the water system.
According to the CS, once completed, the boreholes will add 20 million litres to the city.
The ministry is also banking on the Northern Water Collector Tunnel, which is 20 percent complete, and is set to provide an additional 140,000 cubic metres of water to the county.
WATER HARVESTING
The CS said rivers’ water levels will rise once the long rains start. However, the weatherman has said the rains will be distressed in parts of the country.
“We will ensure we have water harvesting mechanisms as there is a water harvesting authority under the new water laws,” Wamalwa said.
On his part Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero said the County and National governments have agreed to stabilise the city as they await the long rains at a cost of Sh200 million and that the Nairobi County will put in Sh100 million as part of the partnership with the Water Ministry.
“Rigs are already in place and the digging process will commence in the next 2 weeks. Completion of Northern collector will allow flow of 140m litres of water into the city,” he added
He said that the county was looking at opportunities to treat and recycle water for use in gardens and areas that do not require portable water and urged Nairobi residents to cooperate and only use water when it is absolutely necessary.