From Oche Matthew, Asaba
Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa has said his administration was commitment to providing sustainable water scheme for Deltans to ensure a healthy living for all.
Okowa who stated this on Thursday during the flag-off ceremony of Testing and Data Analysis of Water sources organized by the Ministry of Water Resources in collaboration with Emani Global Network Limited in Asaba, said the analysis would help determine the status of the quality of water consumed by Deltans.
“It is a known fact that over 60% of Deltans depend on ground water (boreholes) whose quality may not be quite safe for domestic, industrial or agricultural uses, this is because many chemical components and disease-causing organisms are found in boreholes,” the governor said, adding that “these harmful effects could result in diseases such as cancer, infertility among others.”
The governor said that the programme would assist in the reduction of incidents of water borne diseases stressing, “Our water needs to be regularly tested whether for domestic or industrial use and if found wanting, it will be treated to the required quality for drinking water. Indeed water experts recommend that all water boreholes must be serviced at least once a year.”
In a welcome address, the Commissioner for Water Resources Fidelis Tilije, explained that the programme was intended to wage war against water borne diseases in the state for a better health condition of Deltans.
He said the analysis was to provide a comprehensive water policy in the state, stating that “the governor directed that a Delta State Water and Sanitation Policy be put in place and the bill is before the State House of Assembly to be passed into law. All these is to ensure that we have good health in the state.”
Tilije said that the state has concluded plan to license the construction of all water production sources including private boreholes and as well as collect water rates and renew annual license for all existing boreholes in the state.
Chief Executive Officer of Emani Global Network Limited, Mr. Emmanuel Osiegbu, opined that the need to test the water we use is critical in order to help reduce the rate of water borne diseases among our people. I believe that a healthy nation is a productive nation and Delta State is one of the states in this nation that have embarked on this policy.”
Meanwhile, people from Ndokwa nationality are currently crying out over the poor water facilities in the two Ndokwa local government areas of Delta State.
Chairman of Ndokwa East local government council, Nkechi Chukwura disclosed that some children were discovered to have a mixture of blood in their urine.
She said although the council has done a lot this has not yielded the desired result, calling on the state government through the Ministry of Water Resources to urgently attend to the needs of the people.
She gave the shocking revelation at the official flag-off ceremony, the council chairperson said if urgent attention was not taken to address the situation different diseases would surface in the state.
Some other participants lamented that the only river sources left for them to drink water from has been contaminated and are serving as dead trap to them.
The participants also raised the alarm that the government borehole projects in the council areas were producing red water, stating that government as a matter of urgency should come to their aid before they all die of water borne deceases.
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