Water scarcity hits FCT council

Acute water scarcity has hit the Abaji Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as power outages worsened in the area.

Our reporter, who went round Abaji town yesterday, observed that areas worst hit, include Anguwar Sabon-Tasha, Anguwar-Manko, Naharati, Anguwar Wadata, Abaji-Low Cost, Kekeshi, Anguwar-Abattoir, Junior/Senior staff quarters and within the metropolis of the council.

 It was observed that residents of the affected areas, especially women, stayed in long queues for hours to fetch water from private boreholes, while some went to neighbours’ houses to get for water.

 A housewife, Halima Musa, who spoke with our reporter, said she had to go to a neighbour’s house yesterday morning to beg before she was allowed to fetch one basin of water.

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 She said the water scarcity had caused untold hardship on residents of the area for over three weeks due to lack of electricity.

 Another resident, Mrs Zainab Aliyu, said ‘’Even when you have the money, getting the water to buy is a problem as some private borehole owners are complaining over the hike in fuel pump price at filling stations. 

‘‘I had to buy a basin of water for N150 from a neighbour’s house yesterday.’’ 

She said her husband had a borehole but there was no electricity to pump water, adding that at N1,250 per litre, her husband would not be able to be pumping water with a generator all the time.

 Another resident, Ifeanyi Ebuka, who resides at Junior staff quarters, said he had been buying water from vendors and water tankers in the area at the cost of N6,000 per week.

 He said, “Sometimes, my children even go to school late as I have to go out looking for water vendors. This is what we have been facing for over two weeks.” 

Another resident, Mohammed Kabiru, who also owns a borehole in his house, said it had been difficult for him to pump water due to the hike in fuel price.

 He said, “ I also had to buy water from vendors this morning at N1,200 per truck to enable me and my family bath.’’

 He attributed the water scarcity to lack of power supply.

City & Crime reports that the area council has been in darkness for over three weeks due to power outage, which is also affecting the socio-economic activities of the area.