The effect of epileptic power supply in Gashua, headquarter of Bade Local Government Area of Yobe state has continued to take a toll on the masses, as residents in some parts of the town, and elsewhere around the area of Senate President Dr. Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan are faced with water scarcity.
Leadership Sunday reported that some of the residents have appealed to the state government, Senate President to provide hand-pumped to enhance access to potable water in Gashua town and its environs in order to mitigate the situation.
The report stated that most of the residents now rely on water vendors as the taps have stopped running and most of the bore holes drilled in the area have broken down due to years of neglect and poor maintenance.
The areas worst hit by the scarcity include Unguwar Filin-Tanda, Tanda Karama, Sabon Gari, Isari, Lawan Fannami, Garin Lamido, Abuja Amare, Dadin Kowa and Katz ward.
“We are facing these challenges because for over two months without any solution to the problems, our people are suffering and most of the residents use pure water to cook and toilet flush, we are not getting water from our taps” said a resident.
“With the recent oil subsidy removal, the vendors have increased, their prices from between N10 and N15 per a 20-litre gallon of water to N30 per gallon, definitely we are facing difficulties.
“Every day I spent between N400 and N500 on the water for my household. The situation is so pathetic and difficult.”
Alhaji Umaru, another resident, urged the state government to rehabilitate the Water Treatment Plant and upgrade the reticulation system to enhance the water supply in the area and water hawkers were making brisk businesses due to the growing demand for their services.
A 20 litre can of water from the water vendors now goes for N30 as against its old price of N10.
A resident of Abuja Amare, Abdullah said, “there is acute water shortage at Abuja Amare and some parts of Low-cost, a cart of 12 jerry cans of water fetched from commercial boreholes now costs N300 to N400”.
Another resident, who wished to be anonymous, reported, “in my place, Isari cart of 12-jerry cans of water is sold at the cost of N350 to N400, the situation is bad”.
“There is water scarcity of water in Lawan Fannami area during this fasting period the price of a cart is between N300 and N350.
For residents, who could not afford the price, have to walk a distance to source the water for their domestic purposes.
In a normal situation, the whole cart of water is sold N100 to N150 depending on the location where the hawkers source the water.
Bala Umar, a water vendor, said he was making about N 5, 000 a day as a result of the rise in patronage.
He added that, “as I’m talking to you now, as ‘lucrative i uses filters to purify the water before selling to prospective buyers.
One of the APC chieftains commended Senate President for the construction of roads, schools and empowerment of many youths both men of women in his constituency. He urged him to continue assisting them.
