BY JUMAI NWACHUKWU/IFEANYI UWAGWU
THE Delta State Commissioner for Water Resources Development, Dr Isaac Wilkie has assured Deltans that the State Government is on the right path to achieve the targets of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which harps on the importance of achieving clean water and sanitation for all.
The Commissioner gave this declaration when he visited the Obiaruku Zonal office of the Delta State Urban Water Corporation (DESUWACO), which marked the kick-off of the inspection of both ongoing and completed water projects across the State, yesterday.
According to Wilkie, the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, through his M.O.R.E Agenda is committed to ensuring that unavailability of portable water remained a thing of the past, hence the rapid rehabilitation and construction of water projects across the State
“We all know that water is everywhere, but not all are safe for drinking or human consumption, but what we are offering to Deltans are treated portable water in pursuant to the mandate of the Governor, that every Deltan irrespective of location, should have access to portable water”, he said.
At the Obiaruku water facility, the Commissioner stressed that the reason for the visit was to access the level of work done at the site, after the contract was awarded a few months ago by his ministry. He hailed the contractor for job well done as the facility was wearing a new look, in contrast to how the facility appeared before. He expressed his satisfaction with the level of work done so far by the contractor, noting significant progress front the onset of the contractual agreement, till date.
“Before we commenced the project the site was a bush and den for unwholesome elements, now the difference is clear and we are certain that in the coming weeks the facility would be at an optimal condition, hopefully the contractor continues with the same speed he started with “, he said.
Wilkie also promised the sustainability of the project, assuring residents of Obiaruku that their joy would not be short-lived. He mentioned that measures would be put in place to find suitable alternatives for running the facility in the face of rising fuel and diesel costs. He also called on the community stakeholders to embrace the project as their own and to ensure that the facility is monitored and protected at all times.
The Manager of the Obiaruku district, Mr Felix Ezeocha, mentioned that the rehabilitation of the facility, heralded a new dawn in water supply in the area. According to the District manager, the 500,000-gallon capacity project had been abandoned for over a decade, this leaving a critical gap in portable water supply in the district. He reiterated that with the complete rehabilitation of the facility, the challenge of portable water supply would be an issue of the past
A community leader, Ven. Charles Abanum, hailed the State Government for the development, while calling on them to ensure the sustainability of the project.
Another community leader, Chief Evans Uwabuofu, while thanking the government for the rehabilitation of the facility, called for the extension of the piping to other quarters of the town.
Recall that Sustainable Development Goals was established by the United Nations General Assembly to succeed the former Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), with the overall goal to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
