Two years ago, the government promised to construct concrete underground tanks, which would store water during the wet season and provide adequate supplies to the pastoralists during the dry spell. However, nothing has been done since then.
Pastoralists
in Ntoroko have tasked the government to fulfill its pledge to construct for
them valley dams to address the water crisis in the district. Ntoroko, a
predominantly cattle-keeping district often experiences prolonged drought.
The most
affected people are cattle keepers whose basic source of livelihood is
livestock. Hundreds of heads of cattle are lost in the district as pasture
and water become increasingly scarce.
Two years
ago, the government promised to construct concrete underground tanks, which would store water during the wet
season and provide adequate supplies to the pastoralists during the dry
spell. However, nothing has been done since then.
This has
forced the pastoralists to travel long distances to areas inside the Democratic
Republic of Congo-DRC in search of water for their animals or feed their
animals from dirty water sources.
Asiimwe
Kabagambe, a cattle keeper says that the tanks would be the long-term solution
to the devastating effects of seasonal drought. He says that currently, the
common source of water for the livestock is simple wells that dry out during
the dry seasons. He says that livestock walk for more than 25 km in search of water, which is also insufficient.
He says that the continued movement of cattle in search of water and pasture
could lead to an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.
//Cue in: moving herds of cattle for 20 km…
Cue out:
pushing water to their places ”//
Simon Kisembo, a senior six student says that since the animals are the source
of income, he may fail to get schools fees because the cows are emaciated and
can’t be sold.
//Cue in :”I am supposed…
Cue out : government should help us on that”//
William Kasoro, the LCV Chairperson Ntoroko says that the government should provide
water construction equipment such as excavators and bulldozers to help
individual farmers to construct their own valley dams.
According to Kasoro, several reminders to the government have fallen on deaf
ears.
//Cue in; this is a watering point
Cue out ; disease transmission //
Patrick
Businge the Production Officer Ntoroko district says lack of water and pasture for
animals in Ntoroko has affected milk production.
He says during the wet season the district produces 10,000 liters of milk,
however during the dry season they can hardly produce 1,000 liters of milk as
a district. He says currently they are collecting water from Kabarole district, which
is about 40 kilometers, to feed their cattle.
