Water Scarcity: Ebonyi Begins Reactivation Of Abandoned Water Schemes

The Ebonyi State Government said it has taken delivery of major equipment that will be used in the reactivation of major water schemes in the State to ensure constant water supply and reduce the burden of scarcity witnessed during dry season.

The Special Assistant to the State Governor on New Media, Mr. Leo Oketa, said the arrival of the equipment was a major milestone in the dreams and aspirations of the State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, in ensuring that the people enjoy constant portable water supply during the dry season.

Mr. Oketa said that the equipment received included three massive water pumps from Valencia, Spain, high-quality machines manufactured by Bombas Ideal.

He stated that the machines were configured with exact precision for their specific function, adding that the pumps will drive raw water from the Onuebeonyi River up to the high-lift station at Juju Hill for treatment.

He noted that after the treatment, the water will move into the newly completed 500m Iboko Reservoir and to the different homes across Izzi and Abakaliki Local Government Areas of the State.

He expressed the regret that the old low-lift facility which before now supplied water to Abakaliki, was abandoned, its machines stolen, its buildings vandalised, and the entire area overtaken by criminals who found refuge in the many years of its neglect.

“The road leading to the facility was also before now covered by thick bush. Families nearby had fled. Farmlands were deserted. What once served the people had become a place they feared. But, Governor Nwifuru saw more than decay. He saw a promise waiting to be reclaimed, one rooted deeply in the People’s Charter of Needs.

“Today, that once-forsaken road has been reconstructed with solid concrete which has made it, safe and accessible. Security has also been beefed up around the area to forestall a reoccurrence of the vandalisation of the equipment in the facility. Farmers who cultivate around the area that abandoned their farms because of the activities of hoodlums have returned to their fields,” the governor’s aide stated.

He noted that the State Government has put in place a new pump house, a new generator house, and a security house that were hitherto vandalised and turned to a hideout for hoodlums.

“To ensure we get the needed result, all the old pipes that are damaged have been completely removed. In their place, brand-new pipes will soon run from the low-lift facility through to the high-lift station, carrying water that has not flowed in years.

“Governor Nwifuru didn’t just revive one water scheme which the people would have commended, but he took a bold step by reviving four out of five schemes in the State. It reflects the governor’s determination to meet the daily and practical needs of the people.

“Today, a place once abandoned has become a place where the needs of the people will be actualised,” he added.