The Nigeria Erosion Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), the agency for environmental management and public sanitary health has built a solar powered water borehole in Nimo, Njikoka Council Area of Anambra state in South East Nigeria.
The Management of the agency said the project was part of its contribution towards public sanitary health in the state.
The environmental management and public sanitary initiative is a project jointly funded by the World Bank and the state government to fight back the escalating menace of gully erosion. The agency further works for ‘sustenance of livelihood, environment and sanitary health.’
Anambra state is characterised by an agonizing deficiency of public water supply as most water schemes in the state have gone moribund.
Mr Mike Ivenso, NEWMAP Project Coordinator in Anambra said the boreholes were installed in selected communities where access to potable water was difficult.
He was represented by Mr Emenike Ajulufo, the Natural Resources and Management Officer of NEWMAP. He said the project was designed to meet the every-day needs of women and children and that it would also reduce the time and distance covered in search of clean water.
“Beauty of the project is that it doesn’t require electricity to operate because it is powered by solar energy which makes it an emission-free, climate-smart solution to access to clean water,” he said.
Dr Emma Okafor, Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Environment handed over the project to authorities of Central Primary School Nimo stating that this was one of the four built in the state by the agency.
He said the initiative was going to be a helpful source of potable water for the school children and neighbouring homes in the community as well as a support base for a new life of healthy public sanitation for the community.
He implored the school and the community to take ownership of the asset and ensure its preservation. “I therefore call on you to protect the borehole and avoid unnecessary wastage of the water,” he said.
Mrs Grace Atikpoh, the head teacher at the School said the project would go a long way to solving the problem of water supply to the school.
She lauded the efforts of NEWMAP and the state government and promised that the facility would be optimally utilised.
A representative of the community, Prof Ababime, assured that his people would take ownership of the property and were at the event to guarantee its protection.
At its creation in August 1991, Anambra state inherited 67 water schemes all of which had become moribund. The five urban water schemes in Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi, Ihiala and Aguata which have yet to become effective.
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