There is no gain elaborating so much on the benefits of pipe borne water in our environment. This is one area the governments have failed the people. In the so called developed countries that we have modeled our development pattern water supply is taken for granted but remains a big issue here.
This is one of the basic infrastructures that is designed to improve the welfare of the people. Virtually every government that has come and gone will promise this alongside electricity but none gets the desired attention. The governments are content in paying only lip service to the issue
To many of the young ones growing up it might sound a fairy tale to inform them that once upon a time pipe borne water was made available to the citizens at street corners at no costs to the people. These were some of the benefits they enjoyed in reciprocity for being good citizens who paid their taxes.
Today, the citizens are still paying their taxes and are getting nothing in return. It is even a big challenge sustaining existing infrastructure as most have decayed beyond repair and with no hope of restoration. Succeeding governments, military and civilian have failed to sustain the legacies of good governance they inherited from the colonial masters. Everything it appears now is in a state of total collapse.
In the absence of any credible government efforts many people have opted to provide their own source of water by drilling boreholes in their respective premises. Funnily, some governments have come to tax some of these self-help efforts which are their direct responsibility. The dangers of boreholes are that they are not maintained.
Through them as sources of water supply for drinking purposes some have attracted all manner of water borne diseases which has led to the death of many. The consciousness is not yet there among the people to chlorinate the boreholes and treat it properly to stem these diseases. Some also look at costs no matter how small it may be.
The absence of public water system is also compounding the health challenges of the people especially in the area of sanitation and hygiene observances. A renowned medical practitioner in Owerri, Dr Philip Njemanze commenting on the importance of public water supply as a source of health preventive strategy had this to say
“The best preventive measure is to provide potable water. No city today in Imo State has potable water. The public water system in Owerri and other cities in Imo were completely destroyed. No more pipes borne water, no more chlorination of water. When you don’t do that you are encouraging the spread of diarrhea and people are dying in masses’, he further cried out.
This he stated can be likened to mass genocide committed by the government just for cutting of water noting that that the best way to prevent infectious diseases is hand washing querying what happens when there is no water. Virtually all the states in the South East are at the same level of ignoring public water supply which in the past could be found even in our rural areas.
News Echo wishes to express displeasure at this which can only result from failure of government. It is important to query the relevance of government to the people if it cannot provide some of its basic essential needs. We call on the governments to review their strategies and find ways to integrate this all important infrastructure in their development plans.
Looking back can we ever have the taps run again beyond rhetorics?