The Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA) of the Kano State Government Kano, in partnership with an NGO, Swiss Mark-Sawa, has taken a step to address lack of potable water in rural areas of the state.
According to the Head of Partnerships and Innovation of Swiss Mark, Denmark, in Nigeria, Amidele Oshidele, said the project was to ensure that communities in Nigeria had access to potable water in a way that was affordable.
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Oshidele said, “The project will be distributing 2,000 Sawa bags (Solar SACK) to nine LGAs of the state: Minjibir, Gwarzo, Sumaila, Wudil, Gwangwazo, Warawa, Bichi, Rano and Bagwai.
“The sack can purify up to 2,000 litres of water, and it takes four hours to purify using sunlight usually working for biological contaminants like bacteria and fungi.”
“We are conducting this pilot project with the support of the Ministry of Water Resources and will be distributing 2,000 bags to the most vulnerable local governments that were mostly affected by the cholera outbreak last year.
“It is a partnership, and this is a pilot project to ensure that the people even understand the technology and to ensure that we introduce it to them. So right now, the samples will actually be going for free.
“Currently, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources have actually certified the product because we did a testing in Kano here and in Lagos.
“In Nigeria, we are also in partnership with the partner for development – a United States NGO which will also be supporting us with projects in Jigawa and Benue states.
“In Kano, we are doing this in partnership with the Ministry of Water Resources and RUWASA, and then in other parts of the country, it is also an ongoing project with other local and international NGOs.”
