The residents of Damaturu, Yobe State capital expressed their frustration over persistent water scarcity within metropolitan and surrounds.
The households spoke their minds in separate interviews with our Correspondent on Saturday in Damaturu, the state capital.
Mr. Ishaku Joshua, a Malari resident, highlighted the immense stress people are facing in obtaining water for daily needs.
He said the scarcity had worsened due to frequent power outages and a lack of sufficient diesel to run the boreholes.
Falmata Bukar, another resident said the situation had created a significant burden on the community, forcing them to spend excessive time and energy securing the water.
A Fawari resident, Malam Sani Wali expressed his frustration over the tenfold increase in the price of water.
He lamented that a wheelbarrow containing just 12 jerrycans now costs N800 to N1,000, a staggering increase from the previous price of N200 to N300.
“This exorbitant cost places a significant burden on households, making it difficult to afford this essential resource,” he said.
Another resident of Family Home Gujba Road, Malam Garba Babawo, described the drastic measures taken by the residents to access water.
He explained that due to a lack of reliable power or fuel supply, the community has resorted to pooling their money to purchase diesel to run the borehole generator.
Malam Modu Bakura made an urgent plea to the relevant authorities to intervene and address this critical issue as soon as possible.
Engineer Mahdi Baba Zarma, the General Manager Yobe State Water Corporation explained reasons for the recent water scarcity in some parts of the state.
He attributed the problem to a combination of factors of power outages caused by vandalised electricity towers and the national grid’s collapse.
Despite the challenges, Zarma assured the public that the government is taking action the situation.
He highlighted Governor Mai Mala Buni’s recent initiative to increase diesel allocation for powering boreholes across the state.
He added that the Yobe State Water Corporation is implementing a long-term solution by converting some boreholes to solar power to ensure a more stable water supply in the future.
While appealing for public understanding and patience, Engr emphasised that government was actively working to restore normal water supply.
