Burning Water in Lunga

One of the lasting images from our trip to the village of Lunga is that of water, taken from a community well, poured onto the gravel road, and lit on fire with a match. Spilled jet fuel that has never been cleaned up has badly contaminated the village’s groundwater, which residents often use to start fires in their stoves.

Most of the village’s residents are elderly people who have lived here all of their lives, or children whose parents have moved abroad to work. Broken roads, which become muddy and impassable in the autumn, make it difficult or impossible for these villagers to collect clean water from distant wells and carry it home in buckets. Without a nearby potable water source, they often have no choice but to use the non-potable water for cooking and other activities. This has led to serious health problems among residents.

The local school and kindergarden have no clean water. They used to obtain water from a well, but the authorities tested the water and advised them not to use it anymore.

Lunga recently built a 3.8 km aqueduct that provides water for one third of the population, but the rest of the village remains without potable water. The mayor has been trying hard to find a solution to the problem, but she has come up against numerous roadblocks. She has applied for grants from various sources, but she receives the same response again and again: until Moldova elects a president and the political situation stabilizes, no money will be transferred to Lunga. The Czech Republic has agreed to help with a long-term solution, but the problem is so severe that it will take 100 years to fully address.

Lunga needs help now to bring clean water to their community. Please consider helping them if you can.

The group 30 Days for Water has been created to share this issue and receive feedback from the worldwide community. If you have a common issue or story to share with us, this is the perfect place to do so. Join us now: http://worldpulse.com/pulsewire/groups/20319