05. MOTORIZED SOLAR POWERED BOREHOLES

Water, although without it survival is not possible, every day 2.1 billion people still wake up without access to clean water. This means that millions of vulnerable families around the world do not drink, cook, or bathe with clean water.

Statistics from relevant organisations reveal that 2.1 billion people globally do not have access to clean, safe drinking water. About 3.4 million people die each year from scarce and contaminated water sources and millions of women and children spend 3-6 hours each day collecting water from distant and polluted sources.

At any given time, half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from diseases associated with lack of access to clean water.

This worrisome scenario is applicable mostly to the developing countries, Nigeria inclusive. This is also applicable to most of the HYPPADEC affected communities as their sources of water is also been contaminated by both natural and artificial phenomena.

For example, Tse-Sor Community in Gwer East Local Government area of Benue State where residents were left to an option of travelling for a long distance to access water or the mercy of a stagnant water bodies unhygienic for human consumption leading to sicknesses and sometimes loss of lives. This is applicable to 90% of communities within the HYPPADEC area of jurisdiction. More worrisome is the case of Yauri in Kebbi State and New Bussa in Niger State. These are ancient settlements relocated to their present locations to pave way for the construction of Kainji Dam but currently battling with incessant water scarcity unbefitting of their status as headquarters of the historic emirates.

To change narratives, HYPPADEC has recently constructed solar powered motorized boreholes in all the affected communities to enhance access to potable water and ease the communities from the burden diseases occasioned by unhygienic water.

 Meanwhile HYPPADEC in collaboration with the NEW APPROACH are advancing measures to address water scarcity in Yauri and New Bussa.

These developments have attracted accolades from the affected communities with many describing the Commission’s intervention as the pioneer government project in their localities.