BY FIDELIS EGUGBO.
THE timely intervention of the Delta State Governor, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa checked the outbreak of water borne disease which could have claimed lives.
The Commissioner for Water Resources Development in the state, Sir Fidelis Tilije made the disclosure yesterday during the ministerial press briefing organized by the Ministry of Information at the Government House, Asaba.
According to him, “an outbreak of suspected water borne disease at Aladja community, near Warri was reported and His Excellency directed the Ministry of Health to meet with the Ministry of Water Resources and quickly arranged containment.’
“We met and resolved to speedily provide alternative sources of water supply since the community was solely relying on stream water, which indeed is suspected to be the source of the water borne disease and we decided to quickly sink surface boreholes and delivered 281 packets containing 67, 440 sachets of water purifiers to the primary healthcare centre at Aladja for onward distribution to the populace as the first government palliative response,” he said, reiterating, “each sachet can purify 10 litres of water.”
Sir Tilije disclosed that plans are on to deliver portable and safe water to all the homes of Deltans through regional water schemes that will stand the test of time and as well, create wealth, health and provide employment opportunities for the people.
“We want to reduce the time ordinarily utilised by people in searching for water from outside homes because, the negative impact in health, time, risk, agony, among others on the people cannot be overemphasized,” the commissioner stated, reiterating that the Governor Okowa administration was committed to ensuring a healthy population through delivery of potable and safe water to the citizenry.
On the multi-billion naira Warri-Effurun Water Supply project, Sir Tilije said about N13 billion was required to make it functional, asserting, “the state executive council under the chairmanship of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has approved the concession of the Warri-Effurun Water Scheme through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) and on completion of full construction within the projected 18 months period, public economic and potable water will be reticulated and connected to 15, 000 households at affordable rates.”
Also briefing the press at the occasion, the Commissioner for Environment, Hon. John Nani stated, “to create a comfortable, safe and clean environment for all Deltans and business community across the state, government over the period embarked on the clearing and evacuation of blocked drains and natural waterways in Asaba, Warri, Uvwie, Ughelli, Agbarho, Udu, Jesse, Sapele and Isheagu while box culvert was constructed at Otu-Jeremi as measures carried out annually with the aim of reducing the effects of flood disaster across the state.”.
He also listed some of the achievements of the Ministry of Environment to include the dredging, widening, removal of overgrown trees, weeds and grasses on the Anwai River course which has reduced the effect of flood and its impact on the Camp 74 fish farm, Asaba and enhanced free flow of water from the Anwai River to the River Niger and further curbed erosive impact on the fish farms and roads within the Anwai-Asaba environs.
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