Crr — Kuntaur Area Council (KTRAC) recently presented a cheque of D30, 000 to the Village Water Committee of the three communities of Kaur, namely; Kaur Janneh Kunda, Touray Kunda and Wharf Town.

Addressing the gathering, the chairman of Kuntaur Area Council, Mamat Mbye, called on the three communities to put in place strong mechanism for the maintenance of the facility. He noted that the sustainability of the system depends on the willingness of users to provide the necessary time, money and labour to keep the system functioning.

The chief executive officer of the Council, Pa Darboe, underscored the significant of clean and safe drinking water, saying that it would reduce the risk and incidence of water-borne diseases. He further stated that the protection of public drinking water facility must be considered high priority to ensure the continued provision of a safe drinking water supply, which is essential for the protection of public health, welfare and safety.

Momodou Lamin Jaiteh, the director of Finance and Omar Ceesay, the director of Planning at the Council, both stated that the provision of clean drinking water to needy communities is a priority to the Gambia government. They noted that the effective operation and maintenance of water system is essential if rural water services are to be sustained. They urged the beneficiary communities to take full responsibility and ownership of the facilities.

The alkalo of Kaur Wharf Town, Mustapha Njie, commended the Kuntaur Area Council for their magnanimity. He acknowledged that the fund would help in the maintenance cost of their water facility. He also noted that the restoration of the water supply facility would improve access to safe drinking water and reduce the burden on people walking many miles to collect water. Njie finally assured that the fund would be used for its intended purpose.