The Managing Director of Kaduna State Water Corporation (KADSWAC), Mr Sanusi Maikudi, says the corporation is working with key players in the water sector to develop a blueprint to boost water supply in the state.
Maikudi disclosed this on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.
He said that the blueprint would target effective water supply to Kaduna, which will be a mega city in the next few years, with a population of over 10 million.
The managing director said that the corporation’s participation in second edition of Lagos International Conference on Water, was to meet with key players on the state’s plan.
“The idea was to discuss water supply challenges for a mega city and Kaduna is one of the future mega cities with population of over 10 million.
“Also, our proximity with the FCT and expansion in the railway sector, in the near future, Kaduna is going to become a mega city as such, there is need for proactive steps,” he added.
Maikudi said KADSWAC was positioning itself to gain experience, ideas and knowledge before developing the blueprint for the state’s water supply.
“The exercise was fundamental as it was rallying point for key players in the water sector and we came back with a lot of ideas that will make us do better in whatever we want to do.
“With what we have on ground, there would be immediate changes but for the bigger plans, it would take gradual process since it would involve professionalism,” Maikudi explained.
On shortage of water supply in parts of Kaduna, the managing director attributed it to inadequate water treatment plants.
“We are 35 years in arrears in terms of upgrading our facilities.
“You will agree with me that over the past 35 years, Kaduna state has expanded with new settlements springing up every now and then but the truth is, the facilities we have on ground now are those that could serve Kaduna 35 years ago,” he noted.
He added that apart from fundamental barriers of installed capacity against per capita demand, ongoing Urban Renewal Projects also affected water supply in parts of Kaduna.
“Places like Barnawa, Badiko and Ungwan Sanusi areas are affected due to the roads construction besides other challenges of electricity supply due to burst of transformers.”
Maikudi, however, disclosed that the state government has plans to undertake major water supply works that would consume about $1 billion in the near future.
He said already, detailed engineering design, feasibility study and environmental impact and social assessments had been done, adding, “stakeholders are willing to fund it together with Kaduna State equity contribution”.
Maikudi enjoined water consumers to value water, avoid wastages and endeavor to pay their bills to enable the corporation serve them better. (NAN)
