A water purifying pilot project geared at offering safe and clean drinking water was recently inaugurated in Burayou Town of Oromia Special Zone.
The water treatment project that was funded by Japanese government makes use of simple and effective water purification technology known as Poly-Glu technology, which was developed by a Japanese MSE Company Poly-Glu Social Business Co.Ltd. Kanetoshi Oda, the Company Chairman and CEO said the Poly-Glu Drinking Water System is so simple to apply and aims at enhancing easy access to drinking water for Ethiopians at very affordable cost and at the same time demonstrating the purification process to the audience present at the trial operation ceremony.
While introducing the system, Oda noted that at least 50,000 people can benefit in terms of health and at the same time 300 people can earn a living from the water facility.
He added that the system was successfully implemented in India, Bangladesh, Somalia, and Tanzania before introducing its first pilot project in Ethiopia.
Kebede Gerba , the country’s minister for Water, Irrigation and Energy said the project creates employment to many micro and small businesses given that the facility can be installed from locally manufactured parts in addition to providing clean water at low cost.
He also noted that there is a rise in water demand and such projects are important as the demand cannot be met with the sole doing of the government. Furthermore, he stated his expectation that similar projects will be expanded to other parts of the country.
“I was fascinated the first time I saw the experiment back in Tokyo and I wanted him to start installation here [in Ethiopia],” said Japanese Ambassador to Ethiopia Kazuhiro Suzuki. He also said that the facility provides a very easy, cheap and quick way to create safe drinking water and he expects the project to be a success here just like the aforementioned countries.
A Tanzanian expert Telesphory Lufathe said that the project has created job opportunities for many young people, who sell the water to other areas, and there have been a lot of improvements in water and sanitation.
On the occasion, residents of the town have expressed their appreciation and satisfaction to what the facility bring to their lives while also earmarking their responsibility in maintaining the facility as owner of the project.
