‘Indiscriminate borehole drilling is dangerous’

This development, according to Mr Moses Beckley, acting Director General, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, however, is not healthy for the nation’s underground water reserve.
“The indiscriminate drilling of boreholes as witnessed today in the country is not healthy. It will make the underground water vulnerable to pollution and that will unleash terrible consequences for the country,” Beckley said.
The acting Director General told Daily Trust that it was time the country put in place necessary legislation that would regulate the use of underground water. “Any resource that is not monitored or controlled but left alone portends danger as it will be subject to abuse.
“If a resource is been exploited and there is no legislation to regulate its use then surely it will be subject to abuse and in the case of water it may lead to pollution,” he said.
He cited the cases of Lake Chad and other rivers that had dried up as reasons why care must be taken in our quest to provide water.
He said it was the responsibilities of the agency to provide the necessary laws, guidelines and license to those interested in drilling boreholes for compliance but noted that “we are still working on the laws and knowing that water is life, you cannot just stop anyone in the absence of laws or regulations.”
 He urged Nigerians especially the wealthy to desist from sinking individual boreholes but sink community boreholes so that many households can use one borehole rather than each house sinking its own.
“Our appeal is to those drilling boreholes to come together and drill a central borehole for either their community or estate, this will reduce cost and preserve our underground water for future generation,” he added.
Daily Trust recalls that Mrs Sarah Reng Ochekpe, Minister of Water Resources, in 2014 hinted that the ministry and its agencies were going to monitor and discourage indiscriminate drilling of boreholes across the country.