Afridev pumps have been
designed to be easily maintained at community level: the fast wearing
spare-parts (U-seal, Rod centralizer, Bush bearing, Bobbin, and O-ring) are
easily accessible and their required replacement is facilitated. In theory this
regular maintenance avoids major breakdowns.
But
it has also for consequence that it is easier for thieves to dismantle the pump
and to steal elements, especially when the water point is isolated from the
village. Some spare parts are expensive (rods) and can be illegally sold.
The protection
of the pumps is
therefore an important concern to sustain the water access in rural areas. To cope with this problem, Inter Aide and its
partner the local NGO BASEDA (including TIMMS its local branch for the south) designed
and implemented various systems in their respective areas of intervention to
avoid thieves to remove the different parts inside the pump; systems that are
tested and improved according to their efficiency and to the local capacities
to produce it.
The following
note published on Pratiques website is a description of all these security
systems.
http://www.interaide.org/pratiques/sites/default/files/security_systems_for_hand_pumps_in_rural_areas_of_malawi_v8_sans_logos.pdf
