News Editor
By David Odama
Following scarcity of water hitting parts of Jos metropolis, Chairman of the Plateau State water services corporation, Engineer Apollos Samchi, has appealed for calm and assured citizens of immediate restoration of pipes.
Engineer Samchi who spoke exclusively to Krestnews.com in his office in Rayfield,Jos, explained that one of the major dams supplying water to most parts of the metropolis from Yakubu Gowon dam was faulty due to dilapidation of some pipes and over working of the transformer.
He said the dam supplies more than 70% of water in the State which was installed since 1981 and was receiving minimal attention and maintainance since then.
“All the pumps are old and not efficient, it can not produce to capacity, pipes are weak and cannot hold enough capacity of water. Government is studying the equipment that all engineers design, it is not just a thing of change momentarily, but for a long time.”
He promised to end the shortage within a week and encouraged people to reach out to the customer care service in the board for proper channeling and reconciliation of complaints.
The Chairman however added that already, bid is on for contractors for the rehabilitation of the Lamingo dam which is a multimillion naira project.
“There are replacement of and extension pipes network in Jos North of the settlement. And most of the people are on such areas, and they find it difficult to access pipe burn water..
Plateau State urban water supply in Jos South elevated steel tank has been reconstructed behind Yelwa Club,a pond that supply raw water which has been moribund for 25 years has been rehabilitated and renovated” Samchi said.
A resident of Jenta Adamu in Jos metropolis, Ezekiel Dontina explained that it has been difficult coping without water in his house, saying that he spends as much as 1,500 for a tank of 200 litres every two days in buying water.
“It is sad that every dry season, we suffer lack of water in our area. We keep buying water that might not be enough for the entire family to use in this hard economy. We have experienced their issue for the past 9 years.”
For Chundung Kefas, who leaves in Tudun Wada, lamented that most times “We relay on people who allow us fetch from their various residence at a stipulated time. Any time there is no water we relay on those who sale water to the public in trolleys.”
Krestnews.com reports that for some who buy from water hawker, popularly known as ‘Mai ruwa’ in Hausa pay #3,000 for few jerricans and are not sure of the source of the water, but do not have any option because they are desperate.
They all called on the state water services corporation to look into their plight and end the issue of water shortage.
Areas mostly affected by the scarcity within Jos Metropolis are Jenta Adamu, Tudun Wada, Zinariya, and Rukuba Road.
