… Laments Water Scarcity, Says Efforts To Repair Facilities Damaged By 2022 Flooding Ongoing.
The Kogi State Commissioner For Water Resources, Hon. Abdulmumuni Danga, has described the 2022 flood that led to the shutdown of the Greater Lokoja Water Works as devilish in nature, says it came with tales of woe, living unprecedented devastation on the water facility that supplies water to the State capital.
The Water Resources Commissioner while explaining the level of devastation caused by the flood as well as efforts to restore water supply, said the Government feels the pain of the people, but described what happened to the water facilities as unimaginable, described the 2022 flood that ravaged the State as 20 times worst than the 2012 flood.
Hon. Danga however assured that efforts is seriously ongoing to restore water supply before the yuletide sets in pointing out that the Ministry is working tirelessly to restore water supply.
The devastation Hon. Danga explained damaged several machines which has led to the importation of the needed equipments as many of them cannot be found in the country, said some of the machines have been paid for but will arrive next week.
Hon. Danga described the devilish flood as one that submerged the intake house; fourteen pumps, transformers, said the Ministry had to hire divers to help remove all the fuses, with each fuse taken almost 12 hours to remove and refixed, explained that about 35 fuses were in all affected.
Following an evaluation done on the facility, Hon. Danga, said the need to bring in expertraites, most of who were involved in the building of the facility became necessary, with purchases to be done outside the country.
While promising that if the items required are shipped into the country in adequate time, assured that the supply of water would be achieved before the yuletide proper sets in, lamented the situation caused by the flood, said it was not man made and said the Government is deeply concerned.
Work he pointed out has already began with the purchase of new transformers, lamented that the 2022 flood hit a height of 12m above normal, leading the Ministry to evacuate water for two weeks before the high lift pump machine could be exposed.
The Water Resources Commissioner says the State since the water facility was installed have never experienced the kind of flooding witnessed in 2022, says a call and presentation has however been made to the Federal Government on the need to dredge the River Niger to Forestall such occurrences.
He said the presentation made by the State Government to the Federal Government, through the Ministry called for more attention for the State through the dredging, pointing out that the 2022 flood completely submerged all the buildings and equipments of the Water facility, said any other occurrences in future if not handled now may be catastrophic and total collapse to the facility.
The Commissioner explained that the flooding was not caused by human error, but was a natural disaster experienced, however expressed optimism that efforts is ongoing to revive the equipments and the facility, described the Greater Lokoja Water Works as first of its kind in the country in terms of sophistication, reasons why it would have to require more time and resources in fixing it back.
Hon. Danga added too that the flood equally exhumed all the cables beneath the ground, disclosed that efforts has been made to concrete and return the cables back to the ground, shared in the pain of the people.
While pointing out that the industrial generator used by the Water facility is also one of its kind, with capacity to power the whole of Ganaja Community was badly affected too such that even the transformer oil destroyed by the water cannot be found in the country, said efforts to fix it is on, expressed happiness that the four building that was at the point of collapse owing to the flood that submerged the facility is still standing and assured after following an integrity test, showed that it is still functional, appealed and apologized to the people to be patient as efforts is ongoing to restore water supply in the capital city.