By Sah Terence Animbom
For months now, the population of Bamenda town has been living in a serious situation of water crisis, with very frequent water cuts or no water at all for weeks.
Worst of all is the fact that for the past three weeks or so, CDE controlled water has been flowing from the taps accompanied by mud and possessing a very bad smell that makes the water very unfit for drinking.
This problem is faced especially by those living around Foncha Street to Mile Three, Ndamukong, Ntahmulung, Randez Vous Musang, Ntarinkon, Behind Che, Nitob, Metah Quarters and a host of other quarters that cannot be exhausted in this list.
This has pushed most Bamenda inhabitants capable of affording mineral water to resort to buying and drinking of packaged water while using the dirty water supplied by Camwater for washing.
Talking with Mr. Ndodjeng Bossong Antoine the Regional Delegate Of Water And Energy Resources for the North West Region in his office on May 11th 2018 about the water crisis in Town, he claimed that Cameroonian Journalists were unprofessional and that the water scarcity report done by CRTV North West during their morning edition of the news on Friday May 11th 2018 was false and that there was no water scarcity in Bamenda.
He made these assertions contrary to those made by the common man in the quarter, who truly does not have water as often as he should and is supplied with dirty and untreated water when the taps flow.
When shown a still picture of dirty water in a bowl taken by The Sun Newspaper reporter, he doubted it but promised, when the supporting argument proved too strong, that he was going to assign his technician in charge of water to investigate the situation on the field.
Moving to the North West Regional office for CDE, The Sun Met with grumbling Bamenda inhabitants who were cued up to pay their water bills. Some complained saying “I am even paying bills for water that I don’t have. For two weeks now my tap has not been flowing and the last time it did it came out with mud and smelled terribly. I have been forced to buy bottled water every day and drink because most of us in my house have been suffering from typhoid very frequently in the recent weeks.” She ended.
Another said “I am just paying the water bill so that the people should not come and completely remove their meter. I will pay and wait for the day they decide to send me water”
The Sun took interest in a man who got into a serious exchange with a CDE worker and yelled “Why should I be begging you? Do I have water? Come and remove the meter completely. You people are not helping me”
The regional Director for CDE North West refused to make any statement to The SUN regarding the water situation in the city of Bamenda.