Delta State Government has re-echoed its irrevocable commitment to supply of potable water to the citizenry through functional regional water schemes across the state.
The Commissioner for Water Resources Development, Dr Chris Oghenechovwen gave this indication while fielding questions from pressmen in his office in Asaba.
He said that a deliberate attempt would be made to drill deep water wells, devoid of lead contamination, to boost the capacity of the various central water tanks with proper piping to supply water to the end users, adding that the plan would reduce cost and improve the revenue drive of the state government.
Dr. Oghenechovwen said that meters would be installed to charge minimal, affordable water rates, while the use of electricity generators to power many smaller water plants would be reduced since the water would flow from the high concrete tanks through the force of gravity to the users.
Citing the case of the Enugu water project where water is supplied to the coal city from a distance of over 100km through strong pipes, he said that most of the pipes in the old water projects in the state were expired, even as he said that some of them were made of asbestos. He said that the pipes would be replaced with High Density Polythene (HDP) products to ensure safety and continuity of flow of water in the state.
Commissioner Oghenechovwen said that the Warri-Effurun Water Project would soon be completed; adding that apart from replacing the pipes damaged during the construction of some major roads in Warri, the extended part of the project would be laid with strong (HDP) pipes to ensure that Warri and its environs get connected to the water scheme.
He said that the ministry and the agencies under its administrative preview would work together to ensure that water is supplied to the people at an affordable rate, saying that the ministry would be restructured while the Rural and Urban Water Boards would be strengthened to enhance their efficiency, just as he stressed the need for prompt funding to keep the envisaged regional water scheme afloat at all times.
No comments:
Post a Comment