The Enugu State government has directed estate owners and developers in the state capital, comprising Enugu North, Enugu East and Enugu South local government areas, to liaise with the State Ministry of Water Resources on the new water pipes specification that would be able to withstand the daily pressure of the over 60 million liters of water expected to be released by the state government before the end of November.
While calling on developers on the need to map out and design spaces in their estates for the construction of suitable dumpsters for effective waste management system, the government also advised residents living in the metropolis to give priority to the way wastes are being handled, adding that proper bagging of wastes with the designated trash bags would make the state healthier, neater and safer for people.
The government also warned people deliberately sabotaging the ongoing project through deliberate acts of vandalism, destruction of water galleries and pipelines of severe consequences if they do not stop. In a press statement signed by the Secretary to the Enugu State Government (SSG), Professor Chidiebere Onyia, Enugu residents were also advised to start replacing their old polyvinyl chloride (PVC) water pipes with the Polyethylene of Raised Temperature Resistance (PE-RT) water pipes which are not only suitable for the environment but also modern, non-corrosive and pressure resistant in view of the high pressure and volume of water that would be flowing across the capital in the next couple of weeks.
The statement explained that most of the existing pipes in the state which connect water to various buildings had already outlived their lifespan and would wreak havoc if not immediately replaced before the end of the month.
It further noted that residents who refused to comply with the advice risk not having access to water supply as the water may be lost on transit due to the damaged PVC pipes. The SSG assured that the 180 days Governor Peter Mbah administration had promised to make water available to residents in the capital would not be compromised as ongoing works were at the verge of completion.
He, however, noted that to avoid challenges in the reticulation of the water, individuals should take it upon themselves to fix the pipes taking water to their respective homes, insisting that the governor was set to break the jinx of water problems in the state with the high record of success being made in the sector.
Prof. Onyia, who wondered why citizens would be working against the efforts to make water available in the state through the recent destruction of the expensive facilities in some areas across the state, warning that those engaging in the act would have themselves to be blamed as security agencies had been put on the alert to deal decisively with culprits involved in the barbaric act. “The state has just witnessed a case of vandalism on some of the ongoing water facilities and installation by some persons deliberately sabotaging the efforts of the government.
It is important to state that citizens have vital role to play in the protection of public facilities. They must take these facilities as their own and must protect them, and report any suspected act of vandalism to the nearest police station, or in the alternative, make use of the whistle blowing policy in the state.
“Let us be clear about the ongoing dismay being perpetrated by the enemies of the people. The state government will not fold its arm and watch its efforts to give the people of the state clean and potable water, sanitize the system and revive the infrastructure threatened by sabotage.
Severe measures are being taken and anyone found wanting would be dealt with accordingly. The security agencies have commenced investigation and are tracking the movements of the vandals,” the statement reads.
The statement also cautioned against indiscriminate disposal of waste by members of the public which had led to the blockage of drainages and waterways would no longer be accepted as violators of the environmental law risk arrest and prosecution.
