Work On 400km Water Pipeline Soon

L-R:. Bishop, Niger Delta Diocese, Rt. Rev. Ralph Cornelius Ebirien, Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr. (Mrs) Ipalibo Harry Banigo and Clerical Synod Secretary Ven. Amavey Christian Abbey-Kalio, during a courtesy visit by the members of the Diocese to Government House, Port Harcourt.

The Rivers State Government has said that it will construct some 400 kilometres of water reticulation pipelines, a significant number of public water kiosks and yard taps to deliver clean water to the huge population of residents of the state capital in the next two years.
The state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, who said this in Port Harcourt, at the official launch of the Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor water supply and sanitation project, added that the government aims to encourage access to safe drinking water for the vulnerable groups, while putting in place strategic measures targeted at addressing the poor sanitation challenges in the two local government areas.
The governor, who was represented at the event by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Onimim Jack, said the project is key to the government’s plan to unlock the great potential of the state, and create thousands of temporary and permanent employment opportunities for unskilled and skilled youth of the state, thereby helping to reduce the burden of unemployment and alleviate poverty in the state.
He regretted that although the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have classified the initiative as a category one project, with studies showing its capacity to cause the displacement of some 200 persons, the state government has already put in place proactive measures to mitigate the negative impacts of the project on the people.
Speaking, the Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural Development, Chief Ibibia Walter, said that the essence of the project was to correct the poor and unacceptable habits of the past where most private residences, government institutions and commercial areas in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor practice sanitation devoid of international best practices.
Walter noted that there was significant incongruence in non-adherence to borehole and septic tank regulations, including general hygiene, while in some areas, pit latrines are used, just as open defecation is brazenly practiced, explaining that the project has in-built mechanisms to discourage open defecation, sub-standard sanitation and unhygienic activities in the state capital.
The Tide investigation show that the project has four main components, including water and sanitation infrastructure development through the rehabilitation and expansion of water supply system, building modern environmental protection infrastructure and sanitation facilities in public places, such as markets, motor parks and some waterfronts, as well as construction of pilot sewage project.
In addition, the government has also factored in projects to improve urban hygiene and downstream prevention of environmental degradation, including pollution of the groundwater resources, improve hygienic behavior among school pupils and residents, hygiene and sanitation promotion, and construction of hygienic toilets at household level, among others.
The Tide further learnt that a full Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) and Resettlement and Compensation Plan (RAP) have already been finalized, and the project’s negative impacts, including construction-related issues such as dust, noise, solid waste, traffic, access blocking and hazards to communities on pipeline right of way; possible damage to other utility lines, which may incur service interruptions, disruption of socio-economic activities as well as workers’ health and safety, carefully identified.
While acknowledging the huge benefits of the project, the government said that the positive impacts far outweigh the negatives, but stressed that mitigating measures have already been put in place to cushion the impact on the people.
The Tide gathered that the government’s strategy is to use the project to improve the health and safety imperatives of residents by ensuring that the unprotected sources of water and sanitation, which had hitherto caused more than 90 per cent of diseases, such as dysentery, typhoid, and cholera, are eliminated, to reduce the healthcare burden on government and residents of the state.
The government also plans to provide modern sanitation facilities in markets places, motor parks, and launch an aggressive hygiene and sanitation promotion campaign to further reduce the spread of water and sanitation-related diseases in the state capital.
Besides, it hopes to use the project to reduce the number of school drop-outs and absenteeism currently on the increase due to domestic activities and selling of water on the streets by children, thus minimizing the water stress, and encouraging children of school age to go to school.
The government, in addition, plans to use the project to ensure social inclusion for poor households and pragmatic delivery mechanisms that include significant number of yard taps and public kiosks to cater for low income residents.
The Tide investigation also revealed that the project has a complete conscious package to provide vocational training for water vendors by opening alternative employment opportunities for them, as their present source of income may be threatened as a result.
The project, the government said, will further enhance youth employment opportunities in the state through a fresh graduate attachment scheme to project-hired consultants and contractors, while providing thousands of temporary construction jobs for the teeming unemployed youth, thereby reducing the level of criminality and insecurity in the state.