Water scarcity: Benue residents count losses

This is because the people have depended on wells that are dug manually or rivers as sources for their water need despite claims by government to have provided adequate water sources in the metropolis and its environs.Mrs. Victoria Michael who lives in BNARDA quarters lamented that the public tap which usually provided water for the […]

This is because the people have depended on wells that are dug manually or rivers as sources for their water need despite claims by government to have provided adequate water sources in the metropolis and its environs.
Mrs. Victoria Michael who lives in BNARDA quarters lamented that the public tap which usually provided water for the area every two days is presently not functioning.
“I don’t know what is wrong with the water works. It no longer gives us water. Even though it was not consistent before, at least we fetched water every two days, now the tap does not run at all.”
She claimed to have resorted to untreated well water to serve the needs of her family of six, suspecting also that the constant illnesses experienced by her household might be linked to the drinking of the unsafe water.
Another resident near the old Assembly Quarters, Nancy Abutu, complained of having to spend substantial amount of money every week on buying water from water vendors. “I depend on the water vendors (mai ruwa) to supply my water needs of which a 20 litres jerry can cost between N20 and N30 during the rainy season and could go for as much as N50 in the dry season.”
Abutu however disclosed that water pipelines crisscrossed her area but that the landlord was yet to connect to the source because  the government does not supply water regularly.
The story is not different at places such as High Level, Wadata and Adeke where residents completely rely on local water vendors or their wells where there are any near by.
It was gathered that only the privileged few sank boreholes in their residences for private use while others have turned an opportunity  to sell water to the public for their domestic uses.
Agada Adah, a resident of North Bank explained that he queues every morning at one of the commercial boreholes in his area to buy water before preparing for the day’s work.
He said despite the long queue experienced sometimes, he preferred to get his water directly from the motorized borehole than the local vendors because it is cheaper and safer for consumption.
Adah, speaking on the inconsistency of water supply by the Water Works said despite government’s talk on reticulation, the claims about making huge progress in water supply to the residents remained a myth because “water is not regular as it ought to be even in the state capital, Makurdi.”
However, Commissioner for Water Resources, Conrad Wergba, during the ministerial press briefing organized by the Benue Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Makurdi last week, expressed worry over the epileptic power supply by PHCN, stressing that all the water works in the state were power consuming projects that could not perform effectively in the absence of electricity.
He said that the ministry was currently using an 11 KVA generator set which was grossly inadequate to pump the water needed by the people and called on government to supply the ministry with a 33 KVA generator to enable it to reduce the water challenges faced by the people.
The commissioner also blamed illegal water users and alleged that they are responsible for pipeline vandalism and other unpatriotic acts.
As for those who continue to engage the services of water vendors despite pipelines passing through their areas, the commissioner advised them to get connected to water pipes and “always follow the right channel of connecting water from the Water Board or face arrest and prosecution,” he added.
He further disclosed that the state government has commenced rehabilitation and construction of water projects across the state to boost water supply.
Wergba noted that the rehabilitation of existing water schemes and construction of new ones are in line with the policy thrust of Governor Gabriel Suswam on water supply in the state.
He recounts that water schemes that have been rehabilitated in the state include Lessel, Ugbokpo and Adikpo, which were inherited from previous administrations. Also rehabilitated are small towns’ water schemes at Naka and Aliade while arrangements to reactivate Vandeikya, Obarike-Ito and Ugba water scheme are in progress.