May 06, (THEWILL) – Kano State Government has announced plans to reactivate the 95-year-old Challawa Water Treatment Plant in a bid to boost water supply to residents of the state capital.
The facility, built in 1930 during the reign of the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Abdullahi Bayero, was the first water treatment plant in the state and was initially designed to serve Kano city.
Managing Director of the State Water Board, Alhaji Garba Ahmed Bichi, disclosed this during a facility tour of the plant located in Challawa, near Kano.
He noted that the facility, which previously supplied 20 million litres of water daily to parts of the city including Dorayi, Kabuga, BUK, Janguza Army Barracks, and Kofar Famfo, had been lying idle for eight years due to neglect by the previous administration.
“Due to years of abandonment, the plant suffered extensive vandalism. Hoodlums looted vital components such as pipes, raw water pumps, and electrical starters, crippling its operations,” Bichi explained.
He said the situation had significantly contributed to water shortages in several parts of the city.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Haruna Doguwa, said the government would require $3.5 million to replace the stolen equipment and restore the plant to full functionality.
Doguwa revealed that the government had already placed orders for new equipment to facilitate the reactivation process.
During an inspection visit to the twin Gwauron Dutse water tanks, the commissioner decried the vandalism of essential installations, including valves, pipes, and ventilators mounted atop the Gwauron Dutse Hill.
He said the looting had worsened the state’s water supply challenges, especially in parts of Kano metropolis.
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
