Sadiq Adamu
4 January 2009
For the more than six million people in Kaduna, one recurrent problem has been the acute shortage of potable water.
Statistics corroborated by results of recent investigations showed that less than half the people have access to potable water.
Further investigations traced the shortage to inadequate supply of the facility. Kaduna city and its environs, for instance, consume more than 300 million litres of water a day, but the three major sources of water supply located at Malali and Kaduna South, supply less than 60 percent of their installed capacity.
The three plants have a capacity for 267 million litres of water per day.
Investigations showed that the trio cannot meet their capacities due to poor maintenance, obsolete equipment and the lack of adequate power supply.
Further investigations reveal, however, that the situation is even worse in the other towns of the state, especially Zaria, in the northern part.
The city, according to the 2006 census, is host to one million people.
Analysts have always described the water situation in Zaria as "notorious," especially in the last 20 years, with several projects initiated by the state and federal governments coming to nought.
Similar water crises is faced by other towns like Kafanchan, Kagoro, Zonkwa, Saminaka, Ikulu and Anchau in the southern part of the state.
Worried by this major problem, the State Government has engaged 10 water engineering companies to tackle the water shortage.
Among the companies are MOTHERCAT, Chinese CGC and a host of other local and foreign outfits.
Last week, the Ministry of Water Resources signed seven contracts worth more than N2 billion for various water schemes in different parts of the state.
Sixty communities are to benefit from this scheme.
Among the contracts are the rehabilitation of the Zaria water distribution network which is to be done at the cost of N320.194 million.
The job awarded to Consolidated Contractors, is to be completed within a period of 12 months.
Details also shows that the Kafanchan/Kagoro water supply scheme is to be rehabilitated by SARPLAST West Africa Ltd at the cost of N513.269 million. The project is to be completed in one year.
The rehabilitation of the Zonkwa water supply scheme will also cost N493.805 million and will be handled by Byan and Lubbe Nig. Ltd with a completion period of one year.
Unipump Nig. Ltd has also been contracted to rehabilitate the Saminaka water supply scheme at the cost of N615 million with a 12 month completion period.
Another company, JBG Gauff Inginierie, has been contracted to complete the design for network expansion and distribution supervision for water supply schemes in other towns at the cost of N187.5 million.
Alhaji Dalhatu Zubairu, the Communications Officer, Ministry of Water Resources, also said recently that a N48 million contract has been awarded to a consultant to enumerate the number of consumers in Zaria.
With a lot of federal estbalishments, especially school, in the city, Zubairu says that the idea is to ascertain how many people are to be catered for.
Speaking to journalists recently, Mr Tsahiru Bako, the Commissioner for Water Resources, said that most of the projects are to be executed through Public-Private-Partnership (PPP), with interventions from the Federal Government and the World Bank.
In the interim, Bako said the State Government is sinking 546 boreholes, costing about N1 billion, through collaborative efforts with the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) office.
Already, the state has contributed 50 percent of the amount, while the balance of N500 million will come from the MDGs office as counterpart funding.
Details of the project indicates that N719.8 million will go into the construction of the boreholes while consultancy fees will cost N24 million.
Further details show that 26 boreholes will be constructed in each of the 21 local government areas benefiting from the project excluding Kaduna North and South
Also, N170 million of the amount will go into the rehabilitation of another 479 broken down boreholes spread across the three senatorial zones of the state, including N19 million for consultancy fees.
A breakdown showed that 225 boreholes would be sunk in Kaduna South, 138 in Kaduna North, while the Central Senatorial Zone will get 116 boreholes.
A balance of N110 million has been spent by the Water and Sanitation Agency (WATSAN), a parastatal under the Ministry, to construct some 70 VIP latrines in selected local primary schools and some Primary Healthcare centres.
Other efforts towards water supply, according to Bako, include the rehabilitation of 210 damaged hand pumps which cost N79 million, as well as the construction of 62 solar boreholes.
To ensure that water from the plants is well processed, Bako said that a N15.7 billion water treatment contract has been awarded for the Zaria waterworks.
The project which is to be completed in 36 months, is being handled by MOTHERCAT.
"On the whole, the state government has so far spent N24 billion on various water projects and we are optimistic that the problem will soon be over," Bako said.
According to him, more than four million residents will be provided with potable water before the end of the year.
(NAN Features)
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