By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
Residents of Lokoja, the capital of the Conference Kogi State, north central Nigeria, on Saturday, leapt for joy, following the return of potable water to the area.
Our correspondent recalls that substantial part of Lokoja, particularly Ganaja-Gadumo-Phase sections of the state, have not had potable water run through their pumps since October, 2022.
The negative developmental was sequel to the 2022 flood which devastated many infrastructure, including the total damage it caused to the Greater Lokoja Water Works equipment which stopped the supply of potable water to the public.
Some of the residents, in separate interview with The Reporters, described the return of water to their homes as a big relief but long expected.
According to them,they suddenly saw water gushing out of their pumps at about 1. 30 p.m.
“For me,today will go down in history as my happiest day of 2023 so far because i have not seen my pump running water for the past ten months, a resident of Gadumo new layout,who simply wants to be referred to as Yusuf, told our correspondent.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Mr.Abdulmumuni Danga, told journalists about two months ago that rehabilitation works at the Greater Lokoja Water Works had reached 70 per cent and appealed to the public to exercise patient with the state government on the issue.
He,however expressed sadness over the scarcity of public water supply and assured that all hands were deck to normalise supply of water to the public.
Our correspondent,however, noted that the supply of water lacked sufficient pressure to pump water to over water tanks in some homes.
A reliable source at the State Ministry of Water Resources told The Reporters on the condition of anonymity that the volume of water supplied to the public on Saturday was a result of test running of the work done, adding full supply of water would follow “very soon.”
Investigation by our correspondent showed that the damage done to some pipes during the scarcity of water must have contributed to the low pressure as many pipes were seen gushing out water being pumped from Greater Lokoja Water Works.
