Members of Parliament (MPs) have expressed dissatisfaction to the insufficient supply of water and electricity, two utilities vital for human survival and urged government to take urgent actions to redress the worrying situation.
They were speaking during a special plenary chaired by House Speaker Rt. Hon. Cavaye Yeguie Djibril aimed at finding solutions to the acute deficit in the availability of electricity and water. For over six hours, over 30 MPs mounted the rostrum quizzing Water and Energy minister as to why the country is constantly hit by water crisis and persistent blackout despite the country’s multiple natural resources.
Gaston Eloundou Essomba in his responses agreed with the lawmakers that there existed a big problem of constant blackout in many households but assured that the electricity regulator, ARSEL is looking into the situation. The minister said the shortage of power supply in the northern regions is due to fall of the water table of the Lagdo dam from 4.000bcm of water in 2019 to 2000bcm of water in 2020 which greatly affected supply.
Eloundou said a team of experts are carrying out studies to submit to government for appreciation on how the Menchum fall can be develop while the Manyu water station will go back operational. He explained that government is intensifying works to replace wooden poles while new transformers are being imported to beef up electricity supply nationwide.
The MPs after listening to answers provided by the minister to their worries recommended that government makes the three northern regions autonomous in energy supply by completing the construction of the Bini-Warak dam and rehabilitating the Lagdo dam. They also urged government to make the Memve’ele, Mekin, Mokolo hydroelectric dams operational and usable to improve the amount energy produced.
The lawmakers recommended that government restores and ensures regular maintenance of the hydroelectric power stations, establish a follow-up and maintenance mechanism of the rural network in collaboration with operators of the sector, ensure regular and systematic maintenance of the distribution system infrastructure, and create new, modern distribution network circuits capable of meeting the high demand linked to population growth.
The MPs express the wish to see government create sources of potable water supply for urban and rural populations, optimize access to potable water for rural populations by improving the quality of boreholes and preferring the system of supplying by catchment and constructed streams, raise awareness on hygiene and sanitation to avoid pollution of potable water sources, notably the pouring of pesticides in streams and rivers in order to carry out uncontrolled fishing and strengthen human resources and build their technical capacities in the governance of water-related issues.
By Doh Bertrand Nua
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