Friday, May 20, 2016
Photo | File photo/Ergo
(ERGO) - Water princes have increased sharply in Habbo village, 45 km, west of Alula district in Bari region. A barrel of water now costs 160,000 shillings (roughly $7), up from 15,000 (seventy cents) in April.
The chairman of Habbo location, Aden Saed Yusuf, told Radio Ergo the water pump in the only well in the village had failed. There had been no rain in the last six months. Businessmen were trucking in water from wells 25 km to 40 km away to sell in Habbo.
Aden said they were collecting money from the mainly pastoralist residents to raise $7,000 to buy a new pump.
He appealed to Puntland administration to help by trucking water to them and sending technicians to repair the broken pump.
Hawa Ali Mohamed, 40, a fruit vendor and tea seller, told Radio Ergo her business and household were being affected by the high costs of water. She said she earned a maximum of $7 a day, which was what it cost to buy the barrel of water she needed each day at current prices. She was forced to borrow money from other shopkeepers to pay back later.
More than 1,500 camels and goats used to drink from the local well daily. Pastoralists are forced to walk in search of water as water brought by trucks is too expensive.