ATCDI PARTNERS WITH BOGIA DDA FOR WATER PROJECT

By Lucy KOPANA

The Appropriate Technology Community Development Institute (ATCDI) has partnered with the Bogia District Development Authority (DDA) to deliver community water projects in the district, which will benefit approximately 3,000 people.

**Mr. Anegi and team from Bogia DDA during the presentation of the water project in Lae.**

ATCDI’s Acting Director, Sona Anegi, said that ATCDI is dedicated to assisting communities, and they are privileged to be involved in implementing these water projects.

“This is the first time a Madang MP has engaged our services, so we are looking forward to delivering this project, which will impact the lives of local people,” Anegi said.

Bogia District MP, Robert Naguri, highlighted that, engaging contractors focused on profit has been costly for the district, making it difficult to translate government funding into community projects.

“When ATCDI comes to Bogia and proves that we can work in partnership and deliver at minimal costs, then—why not use ATCDI to do all the work for us in the district? That’s how our negotiations began,” said Naguri.

“We had an initial discussion on how ATCDI could assist us at the district level, in rural settings, so we decided to start with water supply.”

The water supply project will be built in the Moro and Rurunat Villages, and will cater for surrounding communities as well. It will utilize submersible water pumps to draw water from bore wells at a depth of 65 meters, and pump the water uphill to an elevation of 80 meters above sea level to primary reservoir of 50,000 litres. The water will then be gravity fed, to the water points for the communities to access.

The implementation of the water supply project aligns with the National Government’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH) Policy 2015-2030, which promotes access to safe, convenient, and sustainable water supply, sanitation, and improved hygiene practices.

ATCDI’s Acting Director, Mr. Anegi, stated that currently, only 30% of rural communities in the country have access to water supply systems. The organization aims to address this gap through its Water and Sanitation Program.

“The program has introduced a low-cost, low-tech solution called the Rope & Washer Hand Pump. We also assist communities in designing and constructing ferrocement water tanks, water wells, hand pumps, hydraulic ram pumps, and gravity-feed systems,” Anegi said.

“Feasibility studies are conducted, and a detailed report is provided as the technical basis for project proposals.”

The Bogia water supply project costs K506,000.00 including goods and services tax and an upfront payment of K253,000.00 was made by the Bogia DDA mid this year.

Earlier this year, ATCDI also signed a contract with the Huon Gulf DDA to roll out water projects in various areas of the district, and other partnerships are expected to be forged in the near future as well.