Kano residents groan as water scarcity defies solution

In what appears defying pronounced Government efforts to tackle Water shortages, Residents have continued to grapple with the scarcity of the Commodity with a Jerrican been sold at N150 around the City.

All efforts to address the lingering scarcity by the State government have also continued to defy the solutions, while Kano Residents had to trek to a distance far to fetch Water from some Philanthropists who dug Boreholes for free.

The water scarcity coupled with the current poor power supply from the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) have crippled social and economic activities in the ancient city.

Areas worst hit by the perennial water scarcity include Dala, Fagge, Gwale, Kano Municipal, Kumbotso, Tarauni, Nassarawa and Ungogo because residents of the areas mostly depend on the state water board, boreholes established by government and philanthropists as well as water vendors to get water for their daily use.

Our Correspondent observed that as a result of the persistent scarcity, water vendors popularly known as “Mai Ruwa” have continued to exploit the situation by increasing their prices to about 200 percent.

Some Kano Residents who spoke to our Correspondent, lamented that Water Vendors are today smiling to their banks while they continue to suffer for the scarcity with invariable prices of the Commodity.

“The water scarcity is pathetic because on daily basis I spent nothing less than N
The water scarcity which is an annual phenomenal had continued to defy all Government solutions and efforts towards ensuring steady and uninterrupted safe drinking water supply to the residents.

Following the lingering water scarcity in Kano, previous administrations had made several efforts to end the scarcity especially within the eight metropolitan local governments but the efforts still proved abortive.

Some of the identified major challenges that have continued to interrupt water supply in the city include cable theft by some vandals, epileptic and insufficient power supply, some unpatriotic activities taking place in Kano and Challawa rivers and non-challant attitudes of some water consumers, among others.

Moreso, the previous administrations had on annual basis been budgeting huge amount of money with the intention of addressing the lingering water crisis but failed.

For example, the immediate past administration of former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje budgeted the sum of over N31bn in 2018 for provision of water in the state.

Disturbed by the current water scarcity being experienced in some parts of the metropolis, the state commissioner of Water Resources, Ali Haruna Makoda assured that the scarcity would soon be over, as it deployed all other means to deal with the situation.

According to him, the State government under the leadership of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is working round the clock to ensure availability of the water in the metropolitan local governments.

“We are working tirelessly to fix the prevailing water scarcity in the state capital and its environs, and in a couple of days, the problem will be over,” the commissioner said.

Makoda blamed the challenge on obsolete equipment, especially at the Tamburawa Water Treatment Plant which supplies water to most of Kano metropolis.

He also attributed the current high temperature being experienced for the water shortage, as people consume higher volumes of water to cope with the weather condition.

“The State Government inherited the decay in the water sector from the previous administration which did not give the necessary attention to potable water supply.

“During the tenure of the last administration, only 20 percent of the state’s water needs were supplied and was grossly inadequate.”

“But on assumption of office, our administration has been able to supply more than 60 percent of the water needs of our people,” Makoda said.

According to him, the present administration is spending over N1.2 billion monthly to improve water supply which included the purchase of diesel at a cost of N400 million, as well as N387 million on the procurement of chemicals and the settlement of electricity bills to the tune of N280 million on monthly basis.

The Commissioner disclosed that the State Government had entered into an agreement with the French Government to spend 63.4 million Euros for the Construction of additional Kano Water Treatment Plant.

“The State Government is committed to ensure that there is enough drinking water in Kano, which is why the Government of Abba Kabir Yusuf is doing all it can, including spending huge amounts of money, to provide adequate portable drinking water in and around the ancient city,”the commissioner added.