The Kogi government says it has increased its daily water supply from one million to two million litres to improve potable water supply.
The Commissioner for Water Resources, Farouk Yahaya, said this on Monday while monitoring the distribution and efficiency of the upgraded Greater Lokoja Waterworks and supply channels in some parts of the Lokoja metropolis.
Mr Yahaya expressed satisfaction with the increased production capacity. Still, he raised concerns over residents’ negligence in maintaining their service lines, particularly in Angwan-Tiv, where broken pipes remain in bad condition despite the government’s interventions.
He commended Governor Ahmed Ododo for ensuring the intervention that led to the current repairs and maintenance work on water supply facilities in the state capital.
“If we receive uninterrupted power supply for 24 to 36 hours, we can fill the 3.5 million-litre reservoir and ensure steady distribution across key areas,” he said.
He further said that the government was working hard to address the damage caused by the devastating impact of the 2022 flood on the Lokoja waterworks.
According to him, the impact affected the facility’s electro-mechanical equipment, thereby causing rehabilitation delays.
He also said the governor had directed that the Old Lokoja Waterworks be upgraded to sustain water distribution in the state capital.
He said the Old Lokoja Waterworks could not address the concerns raised by Ganaja residents who were experiencing supply challenges.
He said that plans were underway to rehabilitate the Greater Lokoja Waterworks and that technical audit and procurement processes were ongoing to restore full operations on the project.
Mr Yahaya urged residents to take responsibility for maintaining their household water connections.
“Many people have damaged pipes within their compounds yet refuse to fix them, even when the cost is as little as ₦5,000. They end up spending much more buying water from vendors instead.
“The government is doing its part, but the community must also protect and maintain the infrastructure,” he said.
(NAN)
