View of the River Nile where Juba Bridge crosses from Gumbo Sherikat to Konyokonyo. (Courtesy)

The Executive Chief of Gondo-koro Payam has decried inadequate clean drinking water amid allegations of contamination in the Nile River caused by rainwater runoff and flooding from the region.

Jacob Tongun Wani said there are only two boreholes providing clean water to more than 5,000 people in the four Bomas of the Payam.

He said this forced the local residents to drink untreated water from the Nile, leading to widespread waterborne diseases among the local population.

To make the matter worst, the Payam official said, the health facilities are dysfunctional due to lack of drug supplies.

Tongun appealed to the government and partners provide health services and clean water sources to improve the health situation in the area.

“We need more boreholes…. as many as more than 6 boreholes because this river water is not clean and that’s the reason most of us are suffering from typhoid and water related disease since the water is flowing from a very far distance,” he said.

“We also need a good health center which is more than just the health units. If there are other social services, we really need the government and the partners to bring for us this side.”

Last month, communities of the remote payam of 6,000 people, said they have been without access to healthcare service for the last two years, adding that local health facilities have never received drugs consignment during that period.

In an interview with Eye Radio on Wednesday, residents said the area has three non-functioning health facilities due to limited or non-delivery of drug consignments, and blamed the government for what they termed as years of neglect.