04/17/00
Title: Need for national water conservation policy: Namaliu
Source: The National
Date: April 17, 2000
Byline: Jack Metta
THERE is a need for a national water conservation program in the country, former Prime Minister and Kokopo MP Sir Rabbie Namaliu said last Friday.
Sir Rabbie said the program should be aimed at building dams and weirs to store water in periods and areas of high rainfall to make water available for drinking, household needs, industry and for irrigation for agriculture.
He was speaking at the official ground breaking ceremony of the K12.2 million ADB-funded Kokopo Water Supply Project and the Waterboard Office complex at Portion 864, Kokopo last Friday.
"Our failure to conserve water, and to develop irrigation and rural water supply schemes is one of the reasons why public health concerns are growing all the time.
"It is also a reason why we are nowhere near reaching our potential when it comes to agriculture, especially food production," said Sir Rabbie.
"We must give the development of water conservation the same kind of priority we give road development, because true economic and social development depends on water just as much as it depends on good roads, and other services," said the Kokopo MP.
"Our various levels of government must do much more to encourage village communities, and even urban communities to develop self-help schemes to conserve water and use it for the community's benefit.
"Urban water programs are vital, and I commend the excellent work being done by the PNG Waterboard to expand and upgrade city and town supplies."
However, Sir Rabbie said the needs of the rural majority must not be forgotten because they need water to produce food and cash crops as well as for household use.
"A national water conservation campaign will be costly," Sir Rabbie admitted.\