DILI, 09 july 2021 (TATOLI) – The National Authority of Water and Sanitation I.P promised to improve the monitoring and control of the water distribution system and water usage in Timor-Leste, and capital Dili.
ANAS’ Executive Director, Domingos Pinto informed ANAS that it was established to regulate the water distribution and water in Timor-Leste.
“ANAS is a new government agency that was established in october 2020. So far, we haven’t done much in terms of monitoring, controlling, and regulating the water distribution and usage in the country, as it is a new institution. But, we have strengthened our institutional structure and have prepared and identified what needs to be done to better regulate and control the water distribution and usage in Timor-Leste,” Pinto made the comments after signing an agreement with the Information and Communication Technology Agency I.P. (TIC), at ANAS’ office, in Dili, on thursday.
Pinto said ANAS’s role is to ensure the provision of water to communities is fit to be used, and also to ensure that no one would destroy the water supply system for their personal interest.
“Regarding the distribution of water to the communities, we need to ensure that communities have access to a sufficient quantity of high-quality water,” said Pinto.
“Currently, this will be challenged to provide sufficient quantities of high-quality water to our growing population. The demands for water increase slightly every year and, therefore, regulating the water supply and usage is needed.
He said in the near future ANAS would create regulations and rules to control water supply companies in the country.
In addition, Timor-Leste has no problem with water resources as the nation has enough rainwater during the wet season every year: “Our problem is we don’t have adequate water resources management,” said Pinto.
He said Timor-Leste hasn’t made a significant change to Dili’s water supply systems that were left by Indonesia, saying it was designed for a small population back then compared to more than 200.000 people who live in Dili, in 2021.
“In Dili, you can see people destroying the water supply pipes everywhere. Last week, we sent a team to the Pantai-Kelapa neighborhood to warn a company of wasting water into the drainage every morning. You know it is important to manage our underground water properly. So, regulations and rules would be established in the future to regulate such unacceptable acts,” added Pinto.
Related news:TIC-ANAS sign agreement on digitalization documents and data
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Rafy Belo
