At the end of January this year, a water purification facility constructed with the cooperation of JICA was completed in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. More than two months have passed since the water supply began. About 400,000 citizens of Juba now have access to clean and inexpensive water through the newly constructed public taps. Let’s take a look at the changes this water purification facility has made in the lives of the citizens.
The new water purification facility has the capacity to purify 18,000 cubic meters of Nile River water per day. Water can now be purchased at 120 new public taps and 8 water truck water stations throughout the city, giving an estimated 400,000 residents access to clean and safe water, more than 10 times the number before the water purification plant was completed.
Citizens bring 20-liter yellow polyethylene tanks, called jerry cans, to fetch water from public taps. The price is 25 SSP (South Sudanese pounds) per tank, or about 4 Japanese yen. This is less than half the price of existing water purification facilities, and people are welcoming the availability of cheap, clean water close at hand. It is also expected to reduce outbreaks of infectious diseases caused by inadequately purified water, and Mr. Yoshifumi Yamanaka of JICA’s South Sudan office says, “The water is so clean that you can drink it directly from the taps. Until now, mothers and other women have had to spend an hour in the middle of the night boiling water for the next day’s use in order to obtain safe water, but now they will be freed from this habit and will be able to use their time more effectively.
Currently, the water purification facility is in full operation, but due to its popularity, water is sold out by mid-morning. The public water taps are open from 6:00 am. Citizens began arriving one after another to purchase water as soon as they started, and by around 10:00 the water tanks were empty. The business is suspended to store water, and sales are resumed around 2:00 p.m. and remain open until 6:00 p.m. In order to meet the ever-increasing demand, the city is now considering the construction of water supply facilities in other areas of the city where public taps are not yet in place.
Citizens come with yellow polyethylene “jerry cans” in hand to purchase water at the public taps. They are so popular that there are lines of people waiting for their turn.
The construction of the water purification plant began in 2013, just after the independence of South Sudan, and took more than 10 years to complete after two conflicts in the country and a suspension due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection. If the government can properly provide the social services that citizens want, it is expected to build a relationship of trust between citizens and the government, thereby creating an environment in which citizens can participate actively in society and reduce the likelihood of conflict. Continuing to provide clean water will also lay the foundation for peace in South Sudan.
© Source JICA
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