Kwara community rehabilitates dam to boost water supply

The Omu-Aran Development Association in Kwara says it is rehabilitating the community’s dam in order  to tackle the water  scarcity in the area.

The President of the association, Bisi Adeyemi, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Omu-Aran on Wednesday.

The rehabilitation effort, he said, was informed by the need to remove the  water hyacinth impeding the smooth flow of water and boost the capacity of the dam.

He estimated  the total cost of the rehabilitation  of the four-decade-old water facility at N5 million.

Adeyemi said the association,  with the assistance of some youths in the community,  adopted direct labour for the project so as to reduce cost.

He said the initiative  was part of the recommendations  of the association’s Utility Committee after an assessment visit to the dam.

Adeyemi, who blamed the low pumping capacity of the dam on obsolete equipment and lack of proper maintenance, described its present condition as worrisome.

According to him, the association has severally embarked on similar intervention initiative on the dam  in order to facilitate regular water supply to the community.

He also said the association had written the state  Ministry of Water Resources  for necessary assistance.

Adeyemi assured the people of the community that the association would channel resources toward ensuring that  the challenge  of water scarcity was tackled.

Also speaking, a  former President of Omu-Aran Youth Forum, Yemi Aransiola, said youths in the community were  ready to partner with stakeholders to end the water scarcity in the area.

“Apart from our collaborative  efforts with security agencies,  we will also not relent in finding solution to the perennial water scarcity in the community,” Aransiola, a former councillor representing Omu-Aran Ward 2,  said.

Sola Ogunsola, one of the supervisors in charge  of the water works, commended the association and the youths  for their foresight in supporting efforts to revive the  facility.

“The facility presently is pumping water at a very low capacity due to obsolete equipment and inadequate maintenance.

“But we are optimistic that with the ongoing rehabilitation  work embarked on by the association and the youths, water supply to the community will improve,” he said.