• Potable water may become unaffordable for downtrodden as expert decries high cost of borehole drilling
From Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan
Portable water may soon become elusive to the downtrodden. This is fearful but authoritative. A development expert, Michael Ale, attributed this to the free-fall of naira:
“That’s the cause for the increasing high cost of drilling boreholes. Soon potable water may not be affordable to the downtrodden Nigerians.
“Borehole is the most affordable and accessible clean underground water for Nigerians as clean surface water is no longer available to people in the country.
Ale, is co-founder, Global Initiative for Nigeria Development (GIND) and President, Association of Waterwell Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners (AWDROP), called for government’s intervention to tackle the present menace “before Nigerians start drinking from dirty source of water, which may result to waterborne diseases.
“Water from boreholes comes straight from the ground making it 100 per cent fresh and natural, unlike mains water, which is actually 60 per cent recycled wastewater. The government at this critical time needs to provide solution to avoid imminent waterborne diseases and other incommunicable diseases among Nigerian populace.
“Borehole allows businesses to thrive. A lot of companies such as farms need water to grow plants and take care of livestock, which make a borehole installation a much more affordable option in the long run.
“Government at all levels should consider palliative to Nigerian drillers in terms of support to their businesses. As this much needed support at this critical time will augment the cost of drilling, driving non affordability of water for either consumption or all season farming.
“Imaging cost of drilling has risen from what it used to be to like 40 per cent increase. This is really not good for Nigerian livelihood. My fear for the people in rural areas is not even as scared as those in the urban city.
“Almost 79 per cent of government infrastructure ceases to function one month after commissioning. Why is privately owned water infrastructure working and those belonging to government are not working?
“It’s going to be business as usual where borehole contracts are awarded to non professionals. Palliative will go down the drain and in the pocket of the unqualified company or individual consultant.
“Proper monitory will henceforth be adequately applied with the use of technology of our trace and track monitoring device.”