Despite being one of the largest livestock markets in Bauchi State, Mararaba Liman Katagum Cattle Market grapples with perennial water scarcity, a situation that discomforts cattle dealers at the market.
The snag condemns cows and cattle assembled at the market to thirsty which affects their wellbeing leading to poor physique thus selling at low prices.
Alhaji Abdullahi Shatu, a member of the Amalgamation of National Cattle Dealers Association said that cattle at the market suffer from crippling dehydration as the result of water scarcity, adding that daily, a cow drinks between 10 to 20 litres of water.
“We have only one functioning borehole where both people and cattle source drinking water from. On market days, you spend hours on cue before you take your turn to fetch water from the borehole.
“Cattle at Mararaba Market spend three days without drinking water. You don’t need to be told that this makes them dehydrated and diminished their wellbeing,” he said.
Alhaji Abdullahi described the situation as pathetic as some cattle arrive at the market in critical condition, weak and malnourished, a development that affects their prices.
He said, “you find out that a cattle that can ordinarily cost as much as N100,000, the owner ends up selling it at N80,000 because he cannot resuscitate it hours or days after arriving at the market. The situation after those cattle even after leaving Mararaba Market for Lagos, Port-Harcourt and Enugu.”
Ardo Amadu Ibrahim Liman Katagum told Leadership that water scarcity at the market affects the basic hygiene of traders saying that they are in dire need of a dam and boreholes.
“Absence of water worsens basic toilet hygiene. You would not want your eyes to gaze at the vicinity of the market’s toilet facility.
“People have deserted the toilet resorting to open defecation,” he said.
Leadership gathers that there is only one functioning borehole at the market, something that promotes hawking of water in Jerri cans.
“A 25 litre of water goes for as much as N50,” Ardo said.
Ardo Ibrahim urged Bauchi State Government to provide the market with Dams and more boreholes to ease their suffering and improve their wellbeing and cattle sold at the market.
Responding, Assistant Chief Water Engineer at the Bauchi State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, RUWASSA, Lumi Jonathan said that last year, the solar-powered borehole was constructed at the market to reduce water scarcity hardship traders experience in the market.
He said that RUWASSA captured Mararaba community as one of the communities to be provided with additional sources of water in 2022.
