Civil society in Bulungu warns of lack of drinking water.
The Bulungu area of Kwilu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has not had access to drinking water for several years. Residents are drinking water from untapped springs, the president of the local civil society warned on Wednesday 12 February.
Frank Kitapindu fears the spread of water-borne diseases such as dysentery, which is already widespread in the region. He is calling on the authorities to provide the people of the area with drinking water.
People in the Bulungu area, especially those living in the sectors outside the capital, have difficulty accessing drinking water. They still drink water from untapped natural springs, which are considered unfit for human consumption. Franck Kitapindu says:
“We still use water from natural springs. These are not developed springs, these are authentic undeveloped springs that go back a long way, using ancient methods that people use here. Outside the town of Bulungu, people living on the outskirts suffer from a lack of drinking water.”
The lack of drinking water is at the root of the resurgence of several water-borne diseases in this corner of Kwilu Province. The civil society leader is calling on the authorities to take urgent action:
“The people are suffering much more from dysentery, stomach aches and other diseases. These are all water-borne diseases caused by the lack of drinking water. We won’t stop calling on the state to come to our aid, to provide us with drinking water, and even to dig wells or boreholes to help the population stay healthy.”
There has been a shortage of drinking water in Bulungu for several years, adds this civil society source.
