Residents of Enugu State capital are currently facing acute water scarcity and are at the mercy of water vendors in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who monitored the situation in Enugu on Thursday reports that the worst hit were residents of Independence Layout, Community Layout in Transekulu, Achara Layout and Emene.
Some of the residents told NAN that they had not had water since the new year adding that they had been at the mercy of water tankers.
A resident at Independence Layout, Mrs Pat Chukwuma told NAN that she had been buying water from vendors since she moved into the layout nine years ago.
“Ever since I moved into this area, we only had tap water twice in 2014 but from then till now, I buy water from vendors at a very costly amount of between N18,000 and N20,000.
“Again, we cannot do borehole due to the topography of Enugu which is covered by coal,” she said.
Mrs Eucharia Ukwu, who lives at the Community Layout, Transekulu, said that they were not even reticulated since the area was created adding that she relied on well dug water and water tankers.
“In fact, the situation is worrisome and we are appealing to the state government to address the problem urgently,” she pleaded.
It is a similar situation in Emene and Achara layout as residents also buy water in gallons from wells and vendors.
Mr Chima Agu, a restaurant operator in Emene and Jonas Okereke in Achara layout said they bought 25-liter gallon of water at N70 as against between N30 and N50 they purchased in January.
Agu attributed the situation to the dry season as many wells had dried up due to the harmattan.
Meanwhile, Mr Dubem Onyia, the Special Adviser to the Enugu State Governor on Water Resources, said that the government was confronting the recent water challenges in the state.
Onyia made this known to newsmen in Enugu on Thursday through a statement.
He assured the residents that the issue of inadequate water supply, one of the key challenges Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi administration inherited, would soon be history.
The SPA maintained that the present administration was doing a lot with the lean resources at its disposal to address the issue of water in Enugu metropolis.
He noted that some areas in Enugu metropolis, such as Iva Valley, GRA, New Haven, Ogui, Asata, Uwani, some parts of Achara Layout, Abakpa Nike, Trans Ekulu, and Thinkers Corner, enjoyed potable water supply.
Onyia reassured residents in other areas that they would soon enjoy an adequate potable water supply.
He disclosed that the state government had commenced comprehensive rehabilitation of the 9th Mile Crash Programme, with solar-powered boreholes.
The governor’s aide said that the upgrade of the 9th-mile Crash Programme would ensure an adequate supply of potable water from Oji River, Ajali and Iva Water schemes.
Onyia revealed that a contract of N600 million was recently awarded to FordMarx Nigeria Limited, for the rehabilitation of the 9th Mile Crash Programme.
He noted that the company had been mobilized to the site.
The Special Adviser explained that the contract which will be solar powered to address the peculiar challenges of power failure will boost the volume of water being reticulated from the water schemes to the Enugu metropolis.
He revealed that the state government had commenced the bid opening and evaluation meeting for new Okwojo Ngwo boreholes augmentation to Enugu metropolis.
Onyia recalled that Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration constituted the Board of Enugu State Water Corporation, headed by Mr Innocent Diyoke.
The Board was tasked to vigorously drive the state government’s sustained programmes towards ensuring an adequate supply of potable water in the state.
He said that the state government had committed funds to the actualization of the Federal Government Adada Dam Water Project in Nsukka.
The SPA stressed that Ugwuanyi’s administration is not relenting in its bid to increase the sources of potable water supply and to maintain the existing facilities.
