Amby Uneze in Owerri
The Imo State Water and Sewerage Corporation (ISWSC) has
raised the alarm over the rate of human activities and defecation around the
source of its water treatment plant at the Otammiri river in the Owerri capital
city.
This huge menace has contributed in no small measure to the pollution of the water sources as well as the major causes of Illnesses suffered by the population of the municipality, inspite of the huge amount of resources being committed by the Imo State government to revive the system in the State as well as its treatment for safe human consumption.
Managing Director of the Imo State Water and Sewerage
Corporation, Celestine Ugoanyanwu disclosed the effort of the State
Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma in rehabilitating the water scheme which had
remained moribund since 2013 to newsmen condemned the activities of those who
dumb refuse and defecate along the gutters and water sources.
Ugoanyanwu while conducting journalists around the location of the water plant in Owerri, lamented that the facility which cost the State government a huge amount of money to serve the residents is now surrounded by lots of residential houses polluting its water source.
He blamed the continued dumping of refuse and chemicals deposited by some of the residents around the Otammiri river as the major causes of the pollution of the water.
He regretted that the activities of the residents are setting the progress achieved by governor Uzodimma in reviving the State water treatment plant which he said has remained moribund since 2013 before its revival recently.
While urging the governor to evacuate those residing around the water plant to curb the excesses of the pollution, Ugoanyanwu also warned against consuming unwholesome water, especially from private boreholes, explaining that it is the cause of incessant waterborne diseases affecting some people in the State.
Nonetheless, he expressed satisfaction with the modern equipment put in place by the State government in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) which he added will distribute treated water to 80 percent of the population of the State soon including those in the rural areas.
"We now have modern Physiological and Bacteriological laboratories, all thanks to his Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma, we can now pump two to three hours, and very soon 80 percent of the people of the State will have access to the treated water supply to the residences.
"If not for the effort of the governor who made sure he beat the deadline for the requirements of USAID and our other partners, these equipment you're seeing here today wouldn't have been possible, people can now drink treated water.
"Areas we have carried pilot test in the New Owerri and other places in the urban areas showed that there is no standard borehole to provide water consumption, twenty-five years ago our water met WHO standard, after that, it was not like that, except now the government has to spend double to treat the polluted waters," Ugoanyanwu explained.
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Networking, Chantel Adanna Onwuzurike addressing newsmen reiterated Governor Uzodimma's promise of constructing a dam with the river to pave way for its power project.
She urged Imo people to corporate with governor Uzodimma in
his rehabilitation, reconstruction and rebuilding shared prosperity slogan to develop the State.
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