Water scarcity hits Kano

Water scarcity has hit some parts of the Kano metropolis, forcing many residents to patronise water vendors. Mostly affected are areas such as Giginyu, Gwangwazo, Indabawa, Kurmawa and Na’ibawa.

Some residents of the affected areas said on Friday that the situation had partially paralysed socio-economic activities around their neighbourhoods.

A resident,  Abduljalal Mohammed, who expressed dismay over the scarcity, said the situation had worsened the current suffering of the commoners.

“The situation has affected almost the entire city and water vendors have continued to capitalise on the situation by jacking up their prices. I used to buy 12 jerry cans of 25 litres of potable water daily for N200 but they now sell unclean water for between N300 and N350,” he said.

Mohammed said that in some areas, a 25 litre jerry can which was sold for between N20 and N25 before the scarcity, now sold for N35.

Another resident, Babale Musa, who also decried the situation, said that some residents with low income had resorted to using well water as an alternative.

Investigation revealed that following the scarcity, commercial borehole operators had also increased their rates by about 50 per cent. It was further learnt that the owners of the boreholes now charge between N10 and N15, as against N5 per 25-litre jerry can.

When contacted, the commissioner for water resources and rural development, Sulaiman Ririwai, blamed the water scarcity on the drop in the production of the water being supplied to the city, as a result of an electrical power problem. He said the ministry was making necessary efforts to ensure that the problem was immediately rectified, with a view to restoring normal water supply to the city.