Villages in three communities in Manatuto’s Laclo sub-district have been forced to consume river water for the past three months as they have no access to clean water.
Laku Mesak village head Sergio Raimundo Pereira said district and national bodies had been notified of the problem but no solution had been found.
“It is very difficult; they have to fetch water from the river about two kilometers away,” he said.
The affected villages are Uma Naruk, Laku Mesak and Uma Kadak.
Laclo sub-district administration representative Jacinto dos Santos recognized that some villages do not have access to fresh water.
Dos Santos said those who live on mountains without access to springs must draw drinking water from rivers.
“There will be solutions about this matter in a short time,” he said.
