In order to immerse himself in the realities on the ground, the Minister of Hydraulics, Sanitation and Sanitation, Dr Amédé Koffi Kouakou, visited Gbêkê and Hambol. He first went to the Loka drinking water treatment plant in Bouaké, where he inspected the installations and discussed production capacities with the technical teams. On site, he expressed his satisfaction with a capacity now greater than 88,000 m³, a level which he considers encouraging for the urban area. But the Minister did not avoid the difficulties observed around the Kan River and Lake Gonfreville, where the growing settlement of populations near the reservoirs favors the discharge of wastewater and complicates treatment.He called on local authorities to protect the perimeters of these strategic works in the face of pressure from housing developments.

Head then to Niakara, in the Hambol region, where the Minister examined the water reservoir which has supplied the locality for almost half a century. He recalled the recurring shortages, sometimes lasting six months, attributable to the lack of maintenance of the structure. However, the on-site observation was more positive, because the reservoir is now full and its production capacity has increased, enough to ensure adequate supply for around a year and a half according to its estimates. Concerning Bouaké, Dr Amédé Koffi Kouakou recognized that only part of the water produced actually reaches the taps, due to a lack of sufficient pipes.He assured that a file is currently being examined at government level, on the instructions of the Prime Minister, to strengthen distribution infrastructure. According to him, this extension would make it possible to secure the supply of the city and surrounding communities for around five years.

At the end of his visit, the Minister urged prefects and local authorities to closely monitor the perimeters of the reservoirs, judging the preservation of water resources as decisive as technical investments to guarantee sustainable access to drinking water in the Center Ivorian.