Jos community decries lack of drinking water

Residents of Zinaria community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State have decried lack of drinking water in the area.

According to the community, several calls over the past decade to the government for intervention in the provision of water have all failed to elicit a response.

Daily Trust reports that children are often seen trekking down the hilly area in search of water for their families, adding that due to the challenging terrain of the area, water vendors had to struggle to reach their customers.

Safiya Muhammad, a resident of the area said, “Lack of drinking water is one of our major problems in this area. Without water, you cannot enjoy life. We have to trek far distances to get water. Water vendors are not always available because they find it difficult to get to the community due to the terrain.

Another resident, Hadiza Muhammed, also said, “During every election period, you see people coming to seek our votes, but they rarely come to provide these essential amenities, especially water.

“In some cases, when we send our children downhill to fetch water, they don’t always succeed. We are calling on the government to help us.”

Yusuf Ibrahim, a community leader, also lamented the lack of water in the area, saying, “As a leader, I don’t know how many times we are expected to appeal to the government to provide us with drinking water before they respond.

“We always present our demands to politicians before, during and after elections, but they don’t always respond. It has been difficult for us.”

The residents said they face water crisis as inflation and rising cost of living has affected water also, with sachet water now selling for N50.00 each.