Residents of Jos, the Plateau State capital, are singing new songs as dried taps run again after several decades. Thanks to the commitment of Governor Jonah Jang administration to revive moribund water schemes and treatment plants.
Before now, residents of Jenta Adamu, Rukuba Road, Angwa Rukuba, Tudunwada, Wholshe, and Nasarawa, among others had never drunk pipe borne water. Some other areas that used to have the pipe born water have long forgotten about it due to non-availability of potable water.
Expressing his appreciation to the government of the state for making water available to the people, one of the residents Abel Dung, who lives along Rukuba Road, Jos said: “We in this area are planning a thanksgiving service in the church. This is because we regard the availability of clean pipe water here as a miracle. It calls for thanksgiving because water is life. At the same time, we know it’s Governor Jang that made it possible. We are praying for him. God will solve his own problem as he solves ours.”
A resident of Tudunwada, Martha Dogoyaro said: “With the availability of water in our community now, we no longer have problem. Before now, we experienced numerous challenges associated with water scarcity. You know we used to boil well water before we drink. Now, we no longer do that since we have treated water through the pipes.”
Severe water scarcity has been one problem citizens of Plateau State had to contend with. Of the 3.6 million people in Plateau State, only those in Jos, the state capital, could boast of access to potable water, even though not all residents of the city have access to drinkable water.
Water projects constructed about 40 years ago when the state was created are no longer capable of providing enough water for the ever-growing population.
The citizens have been relying majorly on two sources of water: well water and rain water. These two sources have their season. They are only available during rainy season. This explains why residents of the city go through water crisis on yearly basis; especially between January and May.
At the inception of Governor Jang’s administration in 2007, serious appraisal of water supply in the state was undertaken. It was realised that the state water project constructed to provide water to the citizens since the creation of the state in 1975 can hardly supply more than 20 per cent of the total water supply needs of the people.
This is because the water project has not been expanded since 1975 to serve the ever-growing population. To worsen the situation, water pipes laid for distribution of water since 1975 have gone rusty. The implication of the rusty pipes is that any time water is pumped through the pipes; it is mostly wasted because the pipes are leaking.
To tackle the water problem in Jos metropolis, government decided to rehabilitate the moribund water treatment plants; construct more water treatment plants; change the rusty water pipes and to extend water supply to new settlements. Previous administrations had always avoided venturing into water projects due to the huge amount of money required to fix the water problems in Plateau State. This had compounded the water crisis in the state for decades.
The state has three dams from where water is sourced, treated and distributed to citizens. They are Yakubu Gowon Dam, Laminga Dam and Yelwa Dam. Each of the dams has water treatment plant. All the plants at these dams collapsed because of the inability of the state government to power and maintain them.
However, Governor Jang refused to be intimidated by the huge cost of fixing water problems on the Plateau. The governor rather said: “With prudent financial management and government savings, the state government can finance the state water projects and bring an end to this perennial water crisis. If we failed to do it now, we may be putting lives of our citizens at risk; we may be attracting cholera epidemic that can cause loss of lives. So, a stitch in time saves nine.”
The state government, in its bid to expand water supply within Jos and Bukuru metropolis, provided fund for the rehabilitation of the ailing treatment plants. The contract was awarded to CGC Nigeria Limited in 2009.
According to the state Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural Development Idih Waziri Ibrahim, the overhaul of the three water treatment plants was predicated on the total breakdown of all the three. They could hardly provide 20 per cent of the water requirement of citizens.
The commissioner said: “The rehabilitation of the three water plants were completed in 2011 and since then their production capacity has increased tremendously. The water plants can now generate over 10 million gallons of water per day instead of the less than two million it was pumping before this government came in. So, pumping water is no longer our problem but how to extend water supply to new settlements like New Abuja in Dadinkowa, Sabongari in Tudunwada, Quang, Shen, Dwei and others.
“The state government recently took major steps to change the old and rusty pipe network in Jos city. It went for a bank facility of N8 billion. Of this amount, 55 per cent was used for water reticulation and network expansion. Water meters are also made available and installed in every household. Sanitation and hygiene policy is currently being developed to improve the sub-sector. The funds will also help in the construction of additional treatment plants and dredging of dams to increase the sources of water in the state.
Continuing, he said: “In the current fiscal year, the governor has allocated over N2 billion to further enhance water supply to citizens. The focus this year is on rural water supply.
“For instance, it will take care of Mangu water supply network distribution and pipe lines phase 1, rehabilitation of ground water supply schemes at Barkin Ladi, Foron, Mangu, Dengi, Wase and Yelwa, extension of NESCO and PHCN to Bokkos and Yakubu Gowon Dam, rehabilitation of Yakubu Gowon-Shen-Yelwa Bukuru and Laminga treatment plants as well as funding Water Aid/UN Habitat project, among others.
“In the 2013 budget, Jang has allocated about N140 million for the provision of rural water and sanitation in the state, Idih Waziri said.
