Lafia residents groan over water scarcity

Residents of Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, are groaning as water scarcity hits the city with many households now spending hours in search of potable water, Daily Trust Saturday reports.

The acute water scarcity our correspondent learnt followed the inability of the state’s water board to pump drinking water in the past two months as a result of poor electricity supply to the state capital.

Investigation by our correspondent who went round major areas in the state capital showed that many families are now compelled to patronise water vendors whose source of water is questionable.

Findings revealed that most residents are now forced to go to suburbs in search of available water for their needs.

Women and children most times risk their lives at nights in search of water to no avail. 

Residents spoken to said they rely on water vendors whose source is unknown, thereby risking their lives.

Our correspondent who also visited Abuja Street, Makurdi Road and UC Road, observed that some residents seek for private services by talking to water tankers to be supplying water to various houses to reduce the current hardship being faced on daily basis.

At Tudun Kwandara, the situation is not different as most of the women spoken to expressed disappointment.

Narrating his ordeal to our correspondent, a resident of Tudun Abu behind Government House Lafia, Musa Amodu, said in a compound of four tenants, they had to contribute N1,500 each to hire a generator for two days and also contributed N500 each to fuel the generator which they hired to pump water for them.

His words, “We have been passing through this hard phase for two months now and to worsen the situation, the AEDC is not giving us light as expected. Even when they give, it is only in the night and it doesn’t last for thirty minutes.”

Another resident of Angwan Jugu area of Kilema in Lafia, Ibrahim Yusuf, expressed worry over the inability of the Disco to supply power, noting that they used to buy a cart of water at the rate of N100 but now, they spend N1000 for a cart.

On their parts, Mr Idris Jibrin-Abubakar and Salamotu Hamisu appealed to people who have boreholes in their homes to please release water to them to alleviate their hardship.

They called on Governor Abdullahi Sule to, as a matter of urgency find a lasting solution to epileptic power supply in the state.

Speaking, the Regional Manager of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Engr Baro Ahmed, who spoke to journalists recently, revealed that the country was presently generating only 4,000 megawatts of power, and affirmed that it was the reason for the epileptic power supply in Lafia and its environs.

Engr Ahmed, who described the 4,000 megawatts as grossly inadequate, pointed out that Lafia, which used to get 20 megawatts daily now gets only 7 megawatts of electricity.

He also added that Lafia is currently experiencing power supply issues because of peculiar problems associated with overloading of available feeders.

On his part, the AEDC Lafia Manager, Isa Mohammed, explained that an additional power substation would greatly improve power supply especially in Lafia.

Reacting to the present hardship being experienced by citizens of the state, the Nasarawa State government reaffirmed its commitment to overcoming challenges hindering effective water supply to communities across the 13 local government areas of the state.

The State Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural Development, Abubakar Akum, stated this during an inspection tour of water facilities across the Nasarawa North Senatorial district.

Mr Akum reassured the public that the current administration led by Engineer Abdullahi Sule was fully committed to resolving water supply challenges in the state.