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I
was driving on the one semblance of a highway that
is available to us, when I got stuck behind a water
truck. It was the kind that they use to water the
various plants and trees on the streets of the
capital. I would have chalked it up to horrendous
traffic, as is always the case these days, were it
not for the fact that the truck, filled to capacity
with water, was leaking ridiculous amounts every
time the driver put his foot on the gas pedal.
It
left what looked like railroad tracks with
elephantitis on the asphalt tarmac and either the
driver was oblivious about this or completely non-chalant.
Either option is pretty scary.
This is not the only example of water wastage that
can be seen around Addis Abeba, despite the increase
in water shortages all over the medina. Trucks
similar to the one that I happened to be behind last
week can be seen watering plants on a regular basis
on all major roads that offer vegetation.
Incidentally, they choose to undertake this task
during heavy traffic hours, further congesting
already choking streets. They use these huge hoses
that are more appropriate to put outs fires rather
than water plants and trees.
The condition of these trucks are often in disarray,
and the hoses that come along with them are
sprinkled with holes that diligently pour perfectly
good water out onto the asphalt tarmac where it goes
to waste.
Residences and neighbourhoods with running water are
also significant contributors to water wastage. They
use old hoses to wash cars and water gardens.
Compounds are washed on a daily basis, there is
laundry, cleaning and the dishes to consider and for
all we know even the most humble of Ethiopians do
not have the smallest of households.
With ready access to running water at their
fingertips, it is difficult to control the amounts
that are actually being used and that are going to
waste. We do not close the tap when we brush our
teeth, or while we are lathering up in the shower,
or even while washing our hands. To add to that, we
have become accustomed to the luxuries of steam
baths and Jacuzzis!
To
be perfectly honest, that pales in comparison to the
amount of water wastage done by companies - both
public and private - whose employees and those with
access to their running water are not concerned with
what drain it goes down because it is not, after all
them who have to fork out the bill.
Go
to any construction site and you will see the
amounts of water that are simply left to run from
hoses because people do not go and close the tap.
A
prime example would be MOENCO, on the Ring Road on
the shoulder of the Imperial Roundabout to Africa
Avenue. For whatever undisclosed reason - and on a
regular basis - the company pours out hundreds, and
quite possibly thousands of gallons of perfectly
good water on to Ring Road; it is like a regulated
flash flood instigated at the whim of the company. I
have witnessed times when the people of the
neighbourhood bring out jerry cans and take some
home. The less fortunate simply wash themselves or
do their laundry there.
All this wastage is not justifiable and can be
considered reckless as the country is not able to
provide clean, drinking water for all of its
citizens at the same time. Though it would be
presumptuous of me to speak about rural areas and
the water supplies there, I can say with confidence
that the urban supply has been severely diminished,
particularly over the last three years. The city is
only able to meet about 70pc of its populations
demand for water. Major residential areas such as
Ayat, CMC area, Bethel and even some parts of Bole,
Old Airport, and Gergi, experience water shortages
on a regular basis. Some areas, especially those
dense in population, may not even get water for days
or weeks at a time.
With the water wells in the Akaki Kaliti District
working below capacity, Legedadi preparing for
renovations and most other traditional water sources
being dry or contaminated, the residents of the
capital are being herded into a situation where
water is going to be a luxury rather than a
necessity. Instead of waiting for another WASH
program from the World Bank, I think it is time we
applied do- it -yourself methods! |
