World Water Day: Water engineers caution Ogun residents against indiscriminate drilling of boreholes

By Peter Adedoyin

 

The Nigerian Institution of Water Engineers (NIWE) has cautioned Ogun State residents, particularly those in Abeokuta, the State capital, against indiscriminate drilling of boreholes, warning that this may lead to natural disasters in the future.

The institution, noted that man-made activities of borehole drilling without regulation would hasten earthquakes and land tremors.

The National Chairman of Nigerian Institution of Water Engineers, Adeyinka Sobowale, who gave the warning at a press conference to mark the 2023 World Water Day, held in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital.

Sobowale explained that the concrete basement in the earth core will continue to be weakened and punctured by borehole drilling, urging the state government and other relevant authorities to monitor and regulate borehole drilling in the State.

 

While advocating for the creation of water regulatory agency by the state government, to ensure sustainable provision of potable water,  he noted that the World Water Day is an annual United Nations' observance day, held on 22 March of every year, to highlight the importance of fresh water.

He added that NIWES is the foremost professional body that advocates for sustainable development and management of freshwater resources.

While speaking on the theme of the  2023 World Water Day, 'Accelerating Change', Sobowale, said that the entire globe is faced with a huge water and sanitation crisis, noting that "dysfunction throughout the water cycle undermines progress on all major global issues, from health to hunger, gender equality to jobs, education to industry, and disasters to peace".

He disclosed that 179 million Nigerians do not have access to safely managed drinking water services, adding that government owned State Water Agencies (SWAs) have been grossly underperforming, a situation which had led Nigerians to engage in self-supply from unwholesome water sources.

Sobowale, who said Nigeria is not on the track of meeting Goal 6 of SDGs, attributed this deficiency to declined investment in the sector; low capacity development and utilization in the areas of technical competence; system optimization; insufficient share of renewable energy; low operational standards in SWAs; aging staff and lack of succession planning; poor cost recovery and lack of regulation of state actors among others.

"The Nigerian government at all levels need to rethink our strategies of meeting SDG 6; total commitment to ensure that these goals are pursued with passion for the well-being of our people. Meeting the SDGs will ensure that our nation becomes an egalitarian society", NIWE national chairman submitted.