Water scarcity hits Kano, as residents resort to boreholes.
For weeks, residents of Kano metropolis have been hit by acute water shortage, forcing them to resort to different measures to get what they now refer to as scarce commodity.
Previous administrations made several attempts to resolve the issue of perennial water scarcity often experienced in the ancient city during the dry season but to no avail.
Investigation by our reporter showed that majority of the residents of the city now live at the mercy of water vendors for their daily water supply irrespective of where they get the water from.
It was gathered that a 25-litre of water now costs N30 to N40 in some areas.
Chalawa and Tamburawa as well as Watari Water Works are the main water treatment plants that supply water to the metropolitan area made up of eight local government areas, namely Tarauni, Dala, Fagge, Kano Municipal, Gwale, Nassarawa, Ungoggo and Kumbotso with a population of 2,828,861 based on the 2006 population figure.
When contacted, the Managing Director of the Kano State Water Board, Engineer Auwalu Muhammad Galadanci, stated that Kano was facing water shortage right now as a result of an emergency renovation at Chalawa Water Works as a measure to boost the state water supply.
He said that for ages, the different water works in the state had been subjected to a lot of destruction by acts of some sand excavators, adding that their excavation activities had destroyed some of the water sources and rendered them ineffective.
“With the present on-going renovation, the issue of water scarcity in Kano will be minimized.
I want to urge the public to be patient as men of the board are working day and night to see that water supply improves.’’