By Bill W. Cooper
Several residents in rural Montserrado precisely Todee District, are said to be facing a dire situation need as they decry the lack of safe drinking water and other basic necessities in their communities and its surrounding.
The residents, according to report have been struggling to access clean and safe drinking water for years which has become a pressing issue for them, and are now pleading with the government for intervention.
Accordingly, the inhabitants of Todee further narrated that they heavily rely on water from nearby streams and rivers for their daily needs, including drinking, cooking, washing and bathing.
However, the water sources in the area are now being contaminated with pollutants and bacteria, making it unsafe for consumption but are forced to drink and use the contaminated water, putting their health at risk due to the lack of hand pumps and means to fetch safe water.
Todee District, according to history is one of the four districts located in Montserrado County, was the Armed Forces of Liberia former base that hosted the Tubman Military Academy and Second Infantry Battalion in 1984.
Also, Todee District’s population is 32,695 with farming the primary economic activity as the district is run by chiefdoms and clan systems, as the county contains a large number of native African communities.
In an interview with OK FM, several of the residents were heard expressing their dissatisfaction over the situation, and lamented that the lack of safe drinking water has had a significant impact on their health and well-being.
The distress residents also reported how they and their children are suffering from waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and diarrhea among others due to the consumption of contaminated/ deplorable water.
“Our children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to these diseases, and the lack of access to safe drinking water has exacerbated their health issues. We are suffering and we praying that our government will see the need and come to our aid,” the maintained.
As a result of the dire situation, the affected residents are now pleading with the Liberian government through its responsible agencies and other well-meaning humanitarian organizations for intervention.
They are calling on the government and others to speedily provide them with access to clean and safe drinking water through the construction of water treatment facilities and the installation of water pipes, wells or pumps in their community.
When constructed, they believe that said facilities would help in the prevention of disease outbreak and safety of their lives, emphasizing that access to safe drinking water is a basic human right and therefore urged the government to take immediate action to address the issue.
They noted that the lack of safe drinking water in Todee is not only a health issue but also a social and economic issue, something stressed making them unable to engage in productive activities due to the time and effort required to fetch water from distant sources.
This, the inhabitants added has had a negative impact on their livelihoods and economic well-being as well as further exacerbating the poverty and hardship in that oart of the country despite the area being rich in terms of agriculture nutrients.
Meanwhile, the lack of safe drinking water in Todee is a pressing issue that requires immediate attention and intervention from the government of President Joseph Boakai especially so that one of the key pillars of his government’s ARREST agenda is Sanitation.
Least to mention, access to safe drinking water is a basic human right and as such, it is crucial that this administration fulfills its promises and provides the residents of Todee with access to clean and safe drinking water to ensure their health and well-being.
