By Adegbenro Barakat Opeyemi( Siwes Student, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic)
In both rural and urban areas of Nasarawa state, water is a vital necessity. Unfortunately, many parts of the state have suffered from prolonged water scarcity, leaving residents without enough to drink.
Communities in Lafia, Keffi, Karu, Awe, Doma, and other Local Government Areas faced dire situations, resorting to water vendors. Women and children, risking their safety, ventured out at night in search of water, exposing themselves to various dangers.
In rural areas, the situation worsened as people struggled to access sufficient water for drinking, agriculture, and other essential activities. This scarcity led to epidemics of typhoid fever and other waterborne diseases.
Cholera outbreaks plagued different parts of the state, causing numerous deaths, particularly in rural areas relying on streams and unclean water sources.
Even urban centers faced challenges as residents, including students, had to trek long distances for water or purchase expensive bottled water.
Mrs. Esther Ade, a 35-year-old woman, shared her daily 40-minute trek at 4 am to fetch water from a stream, highlighting the financial burden of buying water from vendors.
The government’s promise to drill boreholes in rural areas aims to alleviate these hardships and provide clean water, preventing the spread of diseases.
