THE Government through the Water Resources Division at the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification (MMERE) has resumed the vital Drilling Services Programme.
The previous Programme was closed during the height of the ethnic tension when all drilling machineries and accessories were stolen or destroyed.
A statement from MMERE said that since 2017 through its Water Sector Development Programme under a Development Budget Support made preparatory work such as procurement of machineries, training of staff drillers, ground water assessment trainings through carrying resistivity surveys to determine ground water existence, etc.
“This is a very important programme because it deals with a very basic necessity. Water is plentiful in our country; however, it is not readily made available. Women and children especially have to walk some distances to fetch water for household uses in the rural areas. This is not very good” the statement said.
“Water Resources Division therefore is making the efforts to contribute to try and address the issue through its drilling programme.”
The statement briefly highlighted that water is available through various sources.
Fresh Water can be sourced from open sources such as rivers, streams and lakes. Rain is also another common source. Ground water is another important source. Whilst the Rural Water Supply (or R-Wash) Program under the Ministry of Health and Medical Services primarily deals with accessing water from open sources, the Water Resources Division focuses on the ground water source which is an important source to tap into since not all our townships, villages and communities have rivers and streams.
The actual drilling of bore holes started in August 2020. The newly purchased were trialled by drilling 4 bore holes. Since beginning of this year, about 10 holes were completed. The depth of the boreholes ranges from 15 to 80 meters.
The statement further explains that drilling exercise comes at a cost. Therefore, the Government is charging certain fees for providing the services.
“MMERE felt that despite the charges, the high quality of drilling services provided justifies the fees for the service. Spending money on such a commodity such as water is well worth it.”
MMERE also cautioned that resident or business houses who intend to engage drilling services must seek advice from responsible authorities first to ensure drilling services provided is worth the money spent.
“There are some private drilling service providers available in the country and as the Ministry responsible for water resources management as well as having expertise in groundwater development we wish to suggest to the general public to seek appropriate advice on groundwater development and drilling services prior to engaging drilling services.”
—Government Communication Unit
