From Maiharaji Altine Gusau
As part of activities to mark the 2022 World Water Day celebration, Zamfara state ministry of water resources has expressed commitment towards the provision of groundwater as the most safest source of good drinking water.
Speaking to journalists under the auspicies of WASH Reporters Forum who were in his office at the occasion of World Water Day Celebration, the state’s commissioner for water resources, Engineer Ibrahim Isa Mayana said, his ministry was making frantic efforts towards provision of groundwater as most safest and easy to treat drinking water.
Mayana said, as the theme of this year’s celebration is tagged as “Groundwater, Making invisible to be visible”, his ministry was committed to ensuring that, more boreholes were constructed in the state to enable the people of the state to get potable water.
“Considering the critical role played by groundwater as fresh and safe for human consumption, the state government under my ministry is trying to construct more boreholes for the benefit of our teeming populace who do not have access to good drinking water”.
He stressed that, although the groundwater was invisible, its impact was visible everywhere, adding that, the state government would do all it could to bring out the resources for the use of the people.
He said, “Groundwater is invisible, but its impact is visible everywhere”.
“In some dried parts of the world, groundwater is the only source of water for people to use, as such we must do something about it, take care of it, protect it and use it wisely”. Said Mayana.
Mayana said his ministry would continue to work with all the stakeholders in water cluster both institutional and private sector in creating awareness to the importance of groundwater.
He also assured journalists that, his ministry was ever ready to cooperate with them in publicizing its activities.
Some of the achievements of the ministry acccording to Mayana included construction of 980 hand pumps across the state,
In his response, the UNICEF consultant in the state, Mr. Toyin Adisa said the World Water Day Celebration was aimed at making water to be available through the use of groundwater.
He urged the people of the state to try as much as possible to use groundwater which he said was most safe, healthy and easy to treat.
Speaking earlier, the chairman of the WASH Reporters Forum, Malam Ishaka Zaki Tambuwal said, they were in the ministry in order to highlight its activities.
Tambuwal stated that, the forum was a voluntary organisation aimed at sanitizing the people of the state on the importance of good drinking water and sanitation and hygiene.
