International Water Day celebration: Kaduna metropolis without water By Nasiru Suleiman Water sustains life is a popular saying to press home the important role water plays in the survival of human beings and other living organism that required water to survive. Like the legendaryBy Nasiru Suleiman Water sustains life is a popular saying to press home the important role water plays in the survival of human beings and other living organism that required water to survive. Like the legendary Afrobeat maestro Fela Anikulapo puts it in a song, “Water no get Enemy”. This is true because virtually all living organism need water for survival. One of the responsibilities of government to her citizens is to see to their welfare, provide them with basic infrastructure, social amenities and other good things of life. Aside road construction, electricity, schools and other social amenities one basic thing remained very essential and important to the survival of man; water is an essential commodity, supply of which formed part of government responsibility to her citizens. But unfortunately, most Nigerians are still faced with acute shortage of potable drinking water. Both rural and urban centres are faced with water scarcity in Nigeria as a result many Nigerians are exposed to some waterborne diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, guinea warm, hookworm, typhoid fever and their likes. Communities in Kaduna metropolis for sometimes now are faced with acute shortage of drinking water. The public water system in the state has failed to meet up to expectation as most communities now depend on boreholes and hand-dug well for the supply of drinking water. Areas like; Angwan Rimi, Kakuri, Narayi, Kabalan Doki, Abakpa, Kawo, Hayin Banki, Badiko, Kudenda, Ungwar Romi, and parts of Sabon Tasha and many other parts in the metropolis are faced with this problem. Residents in these areas have blamed the authority of Kaduna state Water Board for their plight. They accused the board of toying with the lives of the citizens of the state. Many said the water supply problem is limited to the areas where the masses are the majority. A resident of Angwan Rimi who does not want his name in print said, all the Government Reserved Areas (GRA) that surrounded the suburb of Angwan Rimi all have water, but one wonder if a GRA in Angwan will have water, what is the problem with the local areas. He accused the board of servicing the rich at the expense of the poor. He went further to accuse the state water board for deliberately closing a pipe that transport water to most parts of the area. He alleged that sometimes ago a plumber in the area who attempted to open the pipe was arrested and detained and it took the intervention of some elderly persons in the area to secure his bail. Another area to his allegation was that there is a particular 5-star hotel in the area that the water board were channeling the water meant for the people of Angwan Rimi. When New Democrat contacted the Public Relations Officer of Kaduna State Water Board to substantiate the veracity of this allegations, she declined talking saying the matter is beyond what she can handle and refer us to the Commissioner for Water Resources or the General Manager of the State Water Board, both of whom efforts to reach before press time prove abortive. One Mr Gabriel John who almost lost a daughter to the water scarcity problem complained bitterly that the water scarcity has gone beyond the ordinary man; he said a bike knocked down his daughter in the quest to get water for their domestic use. Gabriel said Kaduna metropolis was not like this in the past, there was water everywhere for people to use before, but now he wonder what has happened and urged the government to rise to the occasion . Like in Ungwan Rimi, so it was in Kakuri, the people there complained that they hardly see water run from the public tap rather most of them depend on boreholes, wells and the water vendors popularly called mai ruwa. According to one Mr. Peter of Kakuri Gwari who said for the past 10 years until recently, they have not seen water drop in the public tap in Kakuri, but recently the water will come in the morning and before 10:00am the water will cease. Corroborating Mr. Peter a man in Kakuri along Kasuwar Monday expressed sadness at the problem of water scarcity in the area, saying the situation is terrifying as married women and children had to trek long distance to look for water to carry out their domestic’ chores. In Kurmin Mashi for instance, the people now depend on the hand-pumped boreholes for their drinking water. But the most worrying thing is that these boreholes are over-stretched, because they are not enough to serve the people of the area. So you cannot rule out the possibility of rancor, fight and many other problems. This problems has gravely affected the activities of the students, particularly the time for their homework and assignments are used for fetching water. A woman in Kurmin Mashi told New Democrat that the water problem is so bad that sometimes people leave their houses for work without taking their bath. She said they used to buy three 50litres Gallons for N50, but sometimes the mai ruwa will sale for N40 per gallon. She urged Kaduna State Government to speed up work on whatever problem the public water supply system is facing in order to alleviate the suffering of the people. In Kawo and Hayin Banki area, the water vendors are the people’s saving grace , as the public tap hardly run, the people there complained that most time water do run from the tap in some areas, but not in all the area and that is not fair, some of the people who spoke with New Democrat said government should treat people equally and not to discriminate. “If you want to give water to people, let it be to all and not one side to get supply and the other side will not get” a man who identified himself as Malam Audu said. The story was the same in Badarawa, Ungwan Dosa, Ungwar Shanu and some parts of Badiko. Also in Kwaru area, while residents in Rigasa area said some parts of Rigasa were fortunate to have had the World Bank pipe pass through their side and as such they get water supply, but most of the residents in the area are suffering from this acute shortage of water supply. They said Rigasa is a good market for water vendors as most of them deal with their customers’ vied telephone. You need to book beforehand and call them to come over to your house. The people of Kudenda said there are no public water supply system in the area and most landlords who can afford boreholes drilled boreholes while those who cannot, look for other means of getting water. In Ungwan Romi the water problem is biting hard though in Romi new extension residents there have water in abundance, likewise in parts of Sabon Tasha, Ungwar Boro and parts of Narayi residents there battled with this same problem. Meanwhile Kaduna State government has promised to make available clean and drinkable water to its people in order to ensure they live healthy and disease free life. The State Commissioner for Water Resources, Honourable Ado Dogo Audu stated this during a press conference to kick start the Water Day celebration in Kaduna recently. Dogo said Kaduna State is one of the five states in Nigeria that has kept the standard of providing potable water to its people all year round. “Without gainsaying Kaduna state has kept to that position for about six years now. The issue of water in the state is very crucial to the government of Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero as well as his predecessors and that is why project like the Zaria water project are kept under close monitoring to ensure contract terms and completion date are strictly adhered to. “It has not been all that rosy for us in the ministry of water resources because some of our water treatment plants at Kakuri and Malali are constructed in 1929 and 1930. The town has out grown the capacity that they can supply to the consumers. The sad aspect of it is that some equipment are obsolete and need to be refurbished to meet with modern technology,” he lamented The Commissioner said that even though the state is producing 50 million litres of water per day, there are still some places that has some minor supply problems due to pipe leakage and blockage. “We are organising a sensitisation walk as part of 2014 International Water Day celebration to enlighten our people on the need to report any leakage to the district office of Kaduna State Water Board and to ensure that taps open when they need water only. Water is life and has to be preserved,” Ado said. It will be recalled that the United Nations and the World Health Organization declared every 22nd of March each year as a day set aside to mark water day in order to enlighten and inform the people on the need to manage and use water properly, in order to stop problems like desert encroachment, drought and communicable diseases. With all these complains coming from various communities in Kaduna state, the government should be informed that more is required than what they claimed they have done thus far. Many residents said if the Water Board cannot afford the supply, government can assist by drilling more boreholes in various communities in the state for the benefit of the people. Afrobeat maestro Fela Anikulapo puts it in a song, “Water no get Enemy”. This is true because virtually all living organism need water for survival. One of the responsibilities of government to her citizens is to see to their welfare, provide them with basic infrastructure, social amenities and other good things of life. Aside road construction, electricity, schools and other social amenities one basic thing remained very essential and important to the survival of man; water is an essential commodity, supply of which formed part of government responsibility to her citizens. But unfortunately, most Nigerians are still faced with acute shortage of potable drinking water. Both rural and urban centres are faced with water scarcity in Nigeria as a result many Nigerians are exposed to some waterborne diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, guinea warm, hookworm, typhoid fever and their likes. Communities in Kaduna metropolis for sometimes now are faced with acute shortage of drinking water. The public water system in the state has failed to meet up to expectation as most communities now depend on boreholes and hand-dug well for the supply of drinking water. Areas like; Angwan Rimi, Kakuri, Narayi, Kabalan Doki, Abakpa, Kawo, Hayin Banki, Badiko, Kudenda, Ungwar Romi, and parts of Sabon Tasha and many other parts in the metropolis are faced with this problem. Residents in these areas have blamed the authority of Kaduna state Water Board for their plight. They accused the board of toying with the lives of the citizens of the state. Many said the water supply problem is limited to the areas where the masses are the majority. A resident of Angwan Rimi who does not want his name in print said, all the Government Reserved Areas (GRA) that surrounded the suburb of Angwan Rimi all have water, but one wonder if a GRA in Angwan will have water, what is the problem with the local areas. He accused the board of servicing the rich at the expense of the poor. He went further to accuse the state water board for deliberately closing a pipe that transport water to most parts of the area. He alleged that sometimes ago a plumber in the area who attempted to open the pipe was arrested and detained and it took the intervention of some elderly persons in the area to secure his bail. Another area to his allegation was that there is a particular 5-star hotel in the area that the water board were channeling the water meant for the people of Angwan Rimi. When New Democrat contacted the Public Relations Officer of Kaduna State Water Board to substantiate the veracity of this allegations, she declined talking saying the matter is beyond what she can handle and refer us to the Commissioner for Water Resources or the General Manager of the State Water Board, both of whom efforts to reach before press time prove abortive. One Mr Gabriel John who almost lost a daughter to the water scarcity problem complained bitterly that the water scarcity has gone beyond the ordinary man; he said a bike knocked down his daughter in the quest to get water for their domestic use. Gabriel said Kaduna metropolis was not like this in the past, there was water everywhere for people to use before, but now he wonder what has happened and urged the government to rise to the occasion . Like in Ungwan Rimi, so it was in Kakuri, the people there complained that they hardly see water run from the public tap rather most of them depend on boreholes, wells and the water vendors popularly called mai ruwa. According to one Mr. Peter of Kakuri Gwari who said for the past 10 years until recently, they have not seen water drop in the public tap in Kakuri, but recently the water will come in the morning and before 10:00am the water will cease. Corroborating Mr. Peter a man in Kakuri along Kasuwar Monday expressed sadness at the problem of water scarcity in the area, saying the situation is terrifying as married women and children had to trek long distance to look for water to carry out their domestic’ chores. In Kurmin Mashi for instance, the people now depend on the hand-pumped boreholes for their drinking water. But the most worrying thing is that these boreholes are over-stretched, because they are not enough to serve the people of the area. So you cannot rule out the possibility of rancor, fight and many other problems. This problems has gravely affected the activities of the students, particularly the time for their homework and assignments are used for fetching water. A woman in Kurmin Mashi told New Democrat that the water problem is so bad that sometimes people leave their houses for work without taking their bath. She said they used to buy three 50litres Gallons for N50, but sometimes the mai ruwa will sale for N40 per gallon. She urged Kaduna State Government to speed up work on whatever problem the public water supply system is facing in order to alleviate the suffering of the people. In Kawo and Hayin Banki area, the water vendors are the people’s saving grace , as the public tap hardly run, the people there complained that most time water do run from the tap in some areas, but not in all the area and that is not fair, some of the people who spoke with New Democrat said government should treat people equally and not to discriminate. “If you want to give water to people, let it be to all and not one side to get supply and the other side will not get” a man who identified himself as Malam Audu said. The story was the same in Badarawa, Ungwan Dosa, Ungwar Shanu and some parts of Badiko. Also in Kwaru area, while residents in Rigasa area said some parts of Rigasa were fortunate to have had the World Bank pipe pass through their side and as such they get water supply, but most of the residents in the area are suffering from this acute shortage of water supply. They said Rigasa is a good market for water vendors as most of them deal with their customers’ vied telephone. You need to book beforehand and call them to come over to your house. The people of Kudenda said there are no public water supply system in the area and most landlords who can afford boreholes drilled boreholes while those who cannot, look for other means of getting water. In Ungwan Romi the water problem is biting hard though in Romi new extension residents there have water in abundance, likewise in parts of Sabon Tasha, Ungwar Boro and parts of Narayi residents there battled with this same problem. Meanwhile Kaduna State government has promised to make available clean and drinkable water to its people in order to ensure they live healthy and disease free life. The State Commissioner for Water Resources, Honourable Ado Dogo Audu stated this during a press conference to kick start the Water Day celebration in Kaduna recently. Dogo said Kaduna State is one of the five states in Nigeria that has kept the standard of providing potable water to its people all year round. “Without gainsaying Kaduna state has kept to that position for about six years now. The issue of water in the state is very crucial to the government of Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero as well as his predecessors and that is why project like the Zaria water project are kept under close monitoring to ensure contract terms and completion date are strictly adhered to. “It has not been all that rosy for us in the ministry of water resources because some of our water treatment plants at Kakuri and Malali are constructed in 1929 and 1930. The town has out grown the capacity that they can supply to the consumers. The sad aspect of it is that some equipment are obsolete and need to be refurbished to meet with modern technology,” he lamented The Commissioner said that even though the state is producing 50 million litres of water per day, there are still some places that has some minor supply problems due to pipe leakage and blockage. “We are organising a sensitisation walk as part of 2014 International Water Day celebration to enlighten our people on the need to report any leakage to the district office of Kaduna State Water Board and to ensure that taps open when they need water only. Water is life and has to be preserved,” Ado said. It will be recalled that the United Nations and the World Health Organization declared every 22nd of March each year as a day set aside to mark water day in order to enlighten and inform the people on the need to manage and use water properly, in order to stop problems like desert encroachment, drought and communicable diseases. With all these complains coming from various communities in Kaduna state, the government should be informed that more is required than what they claimed they have done thus far. Many residents said if the Water Board cannot afford the supply, government can assist by drilling more boreholes in various communities in the state for the benefit of the people.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 21:15:57 +0000