Water crisis: Suleja residents seek action

As temperatures soar and the dry season intensifies, households across the town are grappling with severe water shortages, raising fears of dehydration, poor sanitation, and escalating public health risks. What was once an inconvenience has now developed into a pressing humanitarian concern affecting families and businesses. Information at the Zonal Water Board in Suleja said […]

As temperatures soar and the dry season intensifies, households across the town are grappling with severe water shortages, raising fears of dehydration, poor sanitation, and escalating public health risks. What was once an inconvenience has now developed into a pressing humanitarian concern affecting families and businesses.

Information at the Zonal Water Board in Suleja said the disruption in water supply was directly linked to the inability of the board to pay its electricity bill. This means that there is no electricity to start the engines tha pump water to the residents.

The situation is particularly alarming given the current heat conditions. Health experts warn that limited access to clean water during hot weather significantly increases the risk of dehydration, heat-related illnesses, and hygiene-related infections. Vulnerable groups — especially children, the elderly, and outdoor workers — face the greatest danger.

Residents say the impact is immediate and severe. Long queues now form around private boreholes and water vendors, while the cost of purchasing water continues to rise beyond the reach of many low-income families.

Officials within the water board emphasised that the crisis underscores a deeper structural issue: excessive reliance on a single power source. The current system relies almost entirely on public electricity supply, leaving water production vulnerable to outages, financial constraints, and operational disruptions.

Community leaders and concerned citizens are therefore making a strong appeal to our governor to urgently intervene.

We are calling for the provision of alternative and sustainable power sources for water board operations — such as solar energy systems, backup generators, or hybrid power solutions — to ensure uninterrupted water supply regardless of electricity challenges.

We believe that investing in alternative power is not merely a technical upgrade but a critical public health and economic safeguard. Reliable water access supports sanitation, protects community health, stabilizes agriculture, and strengthens overall resilience during extreme weather conditions.

A town cannot function without water. We need immediate and long-term solutions.

As the heat continues and demand rises daily, residents hope swift action will be taken before the situation escalates further.

Water is life — and the time to act is now, please.

 

Saidu Bin Malik can be reached through [email protected]