Enugu State Government has pledged to fix moribund water facilities in 360 communities to provide clean and safe water to rural dwellers.
Dr Felix Nnamani, the State Commissioner for Water Resources, made the pledge during a chat on Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Enugu, the state capital.
He stated that 360 communities with government water facilities were totally moribund and not functional due to negligence.
Nnamani explained that Gov. Peter Mbah engaged consortium that did a baseline survey on Water and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) Projects across Enugu rural areas to identify how these facilities would be repaired and reactivated.
The commissioner explained that the facilities were abandoned because people refused to take them as their own.
According to him, some sources of power have challenges while others were taken over by weeds.
“As we are talking, we have 461 communities with government water facilities out of which, 360 are not functional.
“But with the help of our development partners, we are able to do some. In Igboeze North and South and Igbo-Etiti Council Areas, we were able to deliver some.
“We are looking at a holistic approach that will disintegrate them and to ensure that the council areas have a base that will reticulate water across their area to avoid everybody linking to the one at the state capital,” he said.
He added that the ministry was in discussion with a Canadian firm, to see how the organisation would help Enugu State get water from rivers across the state.
He said that the water would be put in reservoirs, treated and reticulated to the rural communities.
By Alex Enebeli
