Water Scarcity Hits Nsukka Community
Residents of Nsukka in Enugu State say they have been abandoned following the state government’s failure to fix the university community’s water supply system.
Some residents that spoke with THE WHISTLER on Thursday said the water supply from the state Water Board malfunctioned last year, and till date, there was no sign of repairs.
According to them, the failure of the state to fix the problem had caused untold hardship to the residents who currently resort to water tankers and private boreholes for water.
Felix Nnadi lives at Nru. He said, “Since last year, we have been suffering from this lack of water. I spend at least N10,000 monthly to buy water from water vendors. The sources of the water are questionable because at times the tanker operators fetch water from unclean sources.
“It is worrisome because this is a state government that promised us regular water supply. So much money has been spent by the state to enable water supply to the Enugu metropolis. But our own is to fix the pumping system which I was told malfunctioned. It is an irony. I’m sure the governor is not aware of our plight, unless it is deliberate.”
A pub operator, James Abada, blamed the continued non-supply of water to the affected areas to lack of government commitment.
He said, “I’m sure the local government authorities have not made appropriate appeals to the state Water Board. This is a country where nothing works without lobbying. The state Water Board has a sub-station at Nsukka. In other climes, it wouldn’t have taken this long to fix the problem. It is not about stolen or vandalized gadgets; I was told that the sumo fell into the sea. Can’t they buy another one? Must the citizenry suffer over what can easily be fixed?”
“I don’t know the cause of this stoppage of water supply to our part of Nsukka,” laments a drycleaner, Ngozi Ngene. She added, “Since last year, nothing has been done. Maybe it is because the affected areas are not where very important people live. For me, it is a sign of government insensitivity to the plight of the masses. I spend a lot buying water to do my work. I count my excess expenditure as losses, and the blame goes to both the state and the local governments.”
Thomas Odo is a building engineer. He said, “I source my drinking water from the water boreholes of UNN. I go there every Sunday. Water is essential. I buy water from tanker drivers, but I don’t drink it because I don’t know the sources. Water from some private boreholes is tasty and has colours.”
Inquiries made at the Water Board, Nsukka, yielded no results as some security men working there said their duties were only to secure the premises, and not to probe into the malfunctioned water supply.
A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, however, said, “The sumo pumping machine is the problem. They have been making appeals to the state headquarters, but I don’t know why the board hasn’t responded.”
Our correspondent reports that the worst affected parts are Nru, Fen Park, Ugwuoye, among others.
Water Scarcity Hits Nsukka Community is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
