The effect of epileptic electricity supply in Gashua, the state capital of Bade Local Government Region, Yobe has continued to wreak havoc on the people, with residents in some areas of the town, including those near Senate President Dr. Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan’s home, facing water scarcity.
In order to alleviate the situation, several citizens who confirmed to TVC News Sunday said they have asked the state government, Senate President, to provide hand-pumped bore holes to improve access to potable water in Gashua town and its environs.
The majority of the population now rely on water merchants because the taps have stopped running.
Furthermore, the majority of the bore holes dug in the area have failed due to years of neglect and poor maintenance.
The areas worst hit by the scarcity include Unguwar Filin-Tanda, Tanda Karama, Sabon Gari, Isari, Lawan Fannami, Garin Lamido, Abuja Amare, Dadin Kowa and Katz ward.
Resident have encouraged the state government to repair the Water Treatment Plant and modernise the reticulation system to improve water availability in the region.
Some of them lamented that 20 litre can of water from the water vendors now goes for N30 as against its old price of N10.
A lack of electricity is causing a water shortage at a time when the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) claims to have restored service on 121.9 MW from the national grid.
According to our correspondent, most of the public boreholes in those locations were connected to the national grid to generate and pump water to end customers, but the current unpredictability in power supply is making that problematic.
There is no functional public tap water system in Damaturu’s Potiskum, Gujba, Fika, Nangere, Damagum, Nguru, Gaidam, Jakusko, Tarmuwa, and other areas. Residents are forced to rely on boreholes and water merchants.
Rural residents, who have been struck the worst, rely on streams and rivers to meet their daily water demands. Water vendors in the state do brisk business as they go from house to house delivering water to those in desperate need.
