Follow Us on Google
From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
The Imo State Water Supply and Sewerege Corporation(ISWSC) has raised the alarm over rate of human activities and defecation around the source of its water treatment plant at the Otammiri river,Owerri.
Managing Director of the commission, Celestine Ugoanyanwu who disclosed this yesterday while conducting newsmen round the location of the water plant in Owerri,lamented that the facility which cost the State government huge amount of money to serve the residents is now surrounded by lots of residential houses polluting its water source.
He blamed the continued dumping of refuse and chemicals deposited by some of the residents around the Otammiri river as the major cause of the pollution of the water.
He regretted that the activities of the residents is setting the progress achieved by governor Hope Uzodimma in reviving the State water treatment plant which he said has remained moribund since 2013 before its revival recently.
While urging the governor to evacuate those residing around the water plant to curb the excesses of the pollution, Ugoanyanwu also warned against consuming unwholesome water especially from boreholes,explaining that it is the cause of incessant waterborne diseases affecting some people in the State.
Nonetheless, he expressed satisfaction with the mordern equipment put in place by the State government in partnership with the United State Agency for International Development (USAID) which he added will distribute treated water to 80 percent of the population of the State soon including those in the rural areas.
“We now have a mordern Physiological and Bacteriological laboratories, all thanks to his Excellency, senator Hope Uzodimma, we can now pump two to three hours ,very soon 80 percent of the people of the State will have access to the treated water.
” If not for the effort of the governor who made sure he beat the deadline for the requirements of USAID and our other partners,these equipment you’re seeing here today wouldn’t have been possible, people can now drink treated water.
“Areas we tested in New Owerri and other places in the urban areas showed that there is no standard borehole to provide water consumption, twenty five years ago our water met WHO standard,after that it was not like that, except now the government has to spend double to treat the polluted waters” . Ugoanyanwu explained.
Earlier, Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Networking, Chantel Adanna addressing newsmen reiterated Governor Uzodimma’s promise of constructing a dam with the river to pave way for its power project.
