From Maduabuchi Nmeribeh, Kano
The management of Kano state Water Board has revealed that the state Government expends N500 million monthly to ensure adequate water supply, particularly within the metropolitan city.
According to the General Manager, Engineering, Engr. Garba Ahmed Bichi who spoke on behalf of the Managing Director, Engr. Garba Ahmad Kofar Wambai, the state Government under the administration of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has not failed in ensuring that the Water Board gets all it required to provide water to residents.
Recall that the Kano state chapter of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) lamented inadequate water supply within Kano metropolis in its last Congress.
Briefing Journalists in his office, Engr. Bichi, however, decried the inability of Kano Electricity Distributiin Company (KEDCO) to provide adequate power supply to its water works, particularly, the Tamburawa Water Treatment Plant which is supplying water mainly to the Greater Kano, made up of the eight metropolitan Local Government Areas where water scarcity is currently biting hard.
According to him, despite collecting monthly bills of N150 million, KEDCO has not been supplying enough power to pump water from the Tamburawa Water plant which is currently operating at 50 per cent capacity.
He also complained of dilapidated state of generating sets which are serving as alternative to KEDCO electricity, but revealed that plans have been concluded to purchase new generators and also rehabilitate all the water treatment plants across the state.
Engr. Bichi explained that the Greater Kano is the metropolitan area, adding that the first water work has repair challenges, second water work has also repair challenges, the third water work, Tamburawa is operating at 50 per cent capacity.
He put the current water demand for greater Kano at 700 million litres per day, pointing out that the state government is doing its best to ensure that all the water treatment plants are rehabilitated for better performance.
He said that already, the Water Board is accessing about N750 million grant from the Federal Government so as to use it for the repairs of the machines and generating sets that are broken down.
“We need to build more treatment plants. Government is planning to bring in the World baink and a French agencies to enable it raise funds to repair the water treatment plants and build new ones.
“We also have the problem of power supply because most of the generators are broken down.
“In the semi-urban areas, the problems are not much because the generators are working well. The major problem we have here is the Greater Kano; and it is hugely caused by lack of adequate power supply.
“The state government spends N500 million every month for the Water Board. We pay N150 million every month to KEDCO to supply us electricity eight hours per day, but we are not getting adequate power supply, particularly, in Tamburawa Water Treatment Plant,” he said.
He also revealed that, “we have challenges in revenue generation. We generate N60 million every month and the revenue covers salaries and over head. We are targeting N100 million per month. All our revenue collection process is electronic.”
