The government in conjunction with Coast Development Authority (CDA) is constructing a water pan for Handaro location at a cost of Sh50million to mitigate the current drought and harness the water from Laga Gabaya area for the residents instead of water run off to the Indian Ocean.
The project has started and will be complete before the short rain starts in early November.
Chairing a stakeholders meeting at her Masalani boardroom Ijara constituency coordinator for CDA Mrs. Nasli Salat said they in partnership with Kenya Red Cross in Ijara to provide water trucking and relief food distribution to mitigate the current drought which has hit the area
Mrs. Salat appealed to stakeholders to partner to avert the drought which is at an alert stage and called for resilience measures to support the area with food, nutrition to children under 5yrs old and lactating mother.
She noted the Coast Development Authority has bought 10 water tanks while 36 were bought by World Vision International making 46 water tanks for drought stricken residents in conjunction with WVI and department of water services in Ijara sub County.
The sub county water coordinator Engineer Sadam Garad said already the 46 water tank of 10,000 cubic litres each had been taken to the affected region of Gababa, Warsame, Sagar, Gerile, Mai village, and Abdigure village in the sub County.
Garad lauded World Vision International and Coast Development Authority for providing water tanks and hiring water trucking to the areas from River Tana.
Ijara sub County Kenya wildlife warden Mr. Adan Ali said the water pan is good for short term measure but noted borehole is the best alternative to water crisis in the region.
He noted there are four boreholes which will be built by Islamic Relief Agency to address human-wildlife to avert the invasion of hyenas and wild beast in villages in search of water and pasture.
Ali said about 67million was to be paid to residents who were either killed, injured or mauled by wildlife in Ijara constituency being 85 per cent of people attacked or killed by wildlife in entire Garissa County.
However, he proposed that boreholes are suitable for the area except those areas that water had been saline especially area near the ocean in Boni forest and patches in the interior of Ijara constituency.
Most of stakeholders proposed that drought intervention measures like food distribution, cash transfers and animals’ feeds inform of fodder to residents is paramount to offset the current biting hunger that has engulfed Ijara constituency of Ijara, Hulugho and Bothai sub counties recently.
They appealed to the County, national and development partners to come forward to the aid of the residents before the short ran start.
The meeting was addressed by Agriculture Officer Mr. Sadiq Gure and Ijara constituency office representative Mr. Iman Kosar, Coast Development Authority regional office of Ijara and Tana River Mr. Abdi Osman among others.
By Mohamed Dahir
