By Johnson Chengo
Plans are underway to rehabilitate the Ndigiria water pan to a mega water project, Kilifi County executive committee member for water and environment Omar Said has said.
Currently, the water pan serves more than 4500 residents of Ganze despite the area being hardly hit by drought.
Addressing journalists after inspecting the water pan to assess its status, Omar said a team ofΒ technical experts will be sent to the area and come upΒ with ways of revamping it.
The team will work closely with the local residents.
“I’mΒ sure this water pan has a greater chance of changing the livelihoods of this area. What is needed is to revamp it so that we have a multipurpose mega pan that will benefit many people ,” he said.
The water pan was dug in 2008 by Arid land’s resourceΒ management project.
The project included fishponds and green house farming.
The County executive said the plan is to expand the water pan and initiate livelihoods projects around the area.
He saidΒ the vision of governor Gideon Mung’aro administration is to establish major water projects in the village’s to reduce over- dependence of the water from the Baricho water works.
“Right now because of the on-going drought, the yield of the boreholes at Baricho water works has dropped. As a county government we will make sure we sink more water Pans so that we avoid the over-dependence of water from Baricho,” he said.
Sokoke member of County Assembly Harrison Thaura said that the Ndigiria is capable of supplying water to the entire GanzeΒ Sub-CountyΒ if properly managed.
He said the water pan serves more than five villages because of the ongoing drought.
The water pan received water from River Voi.
A big section of the water pan banks has been washed awayΒ by flash floods.
“This water pan is sustaining livestock from different areas including Marsabit and Isiolo, even wild animals like elephants used to come here to drink water. Initially this area was surrounded by Bananas and Pawpaw but drought and the marauding jumbos destroyed everything,” he added.
Ndigiria assistant chief James Randu welcomed the idea and said the expansion of the water pan would unlock the potential of the area.
