It is often said that water is life. Water scarcity is closely related to water stress or water crisis hence it renders those in need of it desperate and often helpless.
It is also the lack of fresh water sources to meet the average water demand of a people living in a given community that often force them to desert a place.
There is no gainsaying the fact that water scarcity is caused by a mismatch between when and where people need water, and when and where it is available.
When viewed from a broader perspective, the main driving forces behind the rising global demand for water are the increasing world population, improving living standards and changing consumption patterns.
Therefore, water scarcity varies over time as a result of natural hydrological variability, but varies even more so as a function of prevailing economic policies, planning and management approaches.
Water scarcity would be discussed here through the encounter of this reporter with the people of Limamai Community in Kunchi local government area of Kano State.
It is a herculean task to take a ride from Kano to Badume – Kwanar Yakasai, Kantakara to Laraba, Unguwar Kudu Ingawa to Limamai Village where the famous “Alaramma Mai Wake” local well is situated due to a bad road.
Historically, the people of this area have relied so much on the well for over hundred years being the only source of water. And even before then, since time immemorial, they have been battling with water scarcity for unaccountable years.
A nonagenarian, Malam Audu Maiwake said he hails from Limamai Community in Kunchi local government area of Kano State and has this to say:
“I used to travel five hours every day in search of water for domestic use, for my wives and animals from morning hours till dawn and the only source of water is the “Alaramma Mai Wake Well” situated at a long distance from here.
The story of Maiwake is not quite different from all those who reside in this community as they usually search for water all-day long.
According to him, water in Limamai Community is under the district head of Kuku. According to the old man, water is just like gold in a “London Shop.” He said no grown-up child in this community has the privilege of going to school due to water scarcity.
“If you look from the North, East, South and Western part of Limamai, there is no water in sight until you visit the Alaramma Maiwake’s Well and join the long queue of those with jerricans and other water containers as they line up before they can get water to drink.”
He said many use donkeys, and for those who have no donkeys must resort to trekking for five hours every day.
“As old as I am, I used to carry a specially made round pot made in Bichi LG brand five times every day before I would see food on my table.
“ Most of the people from this community have relocated to other places due to the perennial water shortage.
“This water scarcity is causing a lot of setbacks for us and our children. And the worst part of it is that no one comes to ask for the hands of our female children in marriage because they don’t even have the time to make themselves attractive due to the daily struggle of fetching water from morning till dawn.
“As for the males, they have no time for schooling, business entrepreneurship and skills acquisition have eluded them as a result of this cancer,” he said.
Some young men interviewed by our correspondent who spoke on the condition of anonymity described their condition as very pathetic since all calls on the authorities involved to come to their rescue have fallen on deaf ears.
“We try to portray our battered social condition before our political leaders but they seem only concerned with their personal agendas. They won’t step their foot here unless for campaign purposes and once it’s over, you hardly can see any one of them return to the area.
“We are not a happy community at all. There is despair written all over our faces. We are planning to boycott elections next time. Since no one seems to care about our plights, we are not going to vote for anyone in the near future and that will be a standing rule here forthwith,” he said.
On their parts, Hafsat Musa, 18; Jamila Hassan, 19, and Hindatu Ali 21 expressed disenchantment over the condition they found themselves
“As females who found themselves in a community where water is seen and rated as a precious commodity, you could imagine how terrible our condition will look like?”
A resident, Lami Ahmad told this reporter that “she cannot recall the number of days she leaves without taking her bath for a whole week. This is to the extent that lack of water could ruin our lives as women from this community.
“We have special cases. Unlike our male counterparts, we need water to perform our religious rites and above all, purify our bodies during menstrual periods but where is the water for us to do all these? She asked.
On his part, Isah Sheriff said “no society could co-exist independent of water because water is life, but here, it has eluded us. No one is coming to our rescue; we live miserably and die out of frustration, depression, poverty, squalor and hunger.
The Islamic scholar expressed worry over when the community would come out of the mess? “We are not captured by the authorities. We are living in our own world; no one is bringing a handkerchief to clean the tears that are cascading down our cheeks every day. We know nobody, and have no one to hear or listen to our plights.”
He said it is amazing for communities that have four district heads like Bulakai, Dagiri, Kaballe, Yan lalle and Unguwar limamai would continue to face scarcity of water unabated. In fact, water has become an albatross for us.
Similarly, places like Unguwar Kudu, Kainawa, Muddawa and Ban Dutse also face similar experiences all these years.
They are calling on NGOs, philanthropists and the federal, state governments to come to their rescue.
He used the opportunity to call on the international community to come to their rescue “or any person with human heart to bail us out.”
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