By Goth Mohamed Goth
Humbo-weyne -H.E President Ahmed Mohamed Mahmoud Silanyo on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for a proposed new water reservoir to be built at Humbo-weyne and which will have the capacity to hold estimated 500,000 metric cubic liters of water.
The proposed dam will store water during raining season, which usually flows to the sea. The dam will enable local people to use the stored water during dry seasons to water their farms and their livestock to drink and also to supply the capital with water.
President Silanyo speaking during the event said, “I, Would like to thank the elders and residents of Humbo-weyne for the warm reception, continuous support and also by standing alongside the government, which makes it possible for us to improve the country infrastructure and the quality of living for our citizens.
I, on behalf of fellow Somalilanders , would like to express my profound gratitude to the Government of the United Arab Emirates for its generosity for providing the necessary funds for the construction of this Dam and another one which will be built in Las Anod. Also, they have pledged to initiate several other projects of importance to other areas.
Also the other notable dignitaries speaking during the occasion were ,Hon Muse Bihi Abdi, the ruling party chairman and Presidential Hopeful ,Hon Mahmoud Ali Jama, Minister of Water Resources , the District officer, local elders and officials representing the firm which will undertake the Dam construction.
The construction of the new dam will be the largest ever rain water harvesting project to be ever undertaken and implemented in Somaliland, whose aim is to save precious water from losing out to the sea .
Rain water harvesting is a low-cost, readily available and energy-saving method of water collection, which does not require any external energy inputs, unlike most other forms of water supply which require motorized pumping, road transport, human resources, etc.