Commissioner: Illegal Structures, Bane of Water Shortage in Katsina

Commissioner: Illegal Structures, Bane of Water Shortage in Katsina

By Francis Sardauna

The Katsina State Government has attributed the prevailing acute water shortage bedevilling communities and villages in the state to illegal structures constructed on water pipelines.

The Commissioner for Water Resources, Mr. Musa Adamu, revealed this during a ministerial briefing with journalists on Monday at the Government House.

He said residents had constructed hundreds of houses and other commercial buildings on major water channels, thereby sabotaging effective and adequate provision of potable water in the state.

He said: “The state has enough water in its dams and reservoirs that would take care of the water needs of most houses and companies in the state. But illegal structures built on major water pipelines in parts of the state is affecting free flow of water to homes and companies.

“We also have the problem of illegal tapping, leakages, blockage of pipes due to rusting, among other issues, but we are currently addressing the problem to ensure stable water supply in some parts of the state that are facing water problem.”

The commissioner mentioned leakages, illegal tapping, sabotage and pipeline blockage due to aging as other factors causing perennial water shortage in some communities of the state.

According to him, efforts to dig up and fix the water pipelines was not yielding the desired results as it would amount to destroying several structures for this to be achieved.

He, however, said the state government has commenced the construction, rehabilitation, and expansion of projects in the sector that would soon alleviate the plight of the rural dwellers in terms of water supply.

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