Rivers Community Decries Presence Of Poisonous Substance In Water Sources

Indigenes of Ogale Community in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State have decried the continuous presence of Bonzynes in their water sources across section of indigenes of the community who spoke to The Tide in an interview said the situation has forced the entire community to depend on sachet water both for drinking and other domestic uses.
They stressed the need for the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to fast track the process of providing potable water to the community.
Chief Harrison Olungwe who spoke in The Tide on the issue, said it is worrisome that the people of Ogale have continue to suffer the effect of water pollution.
Olungwe said, he now depends on sachet water for drinking and other domestic purposes.
He said the boreholes recently constructed by HYPREP in the community have not solved the problem of water supply in the area.
According to him, Ogale needs industrialised water system that can be distributed to all households in the area.
Olungwe who is the head chief of Mbumeta community, Ogale, said the community is now sensitizing people to stop using polluted and contaminated water in the area.
Also speaking Chief Abel Olungwe, stressed the need for collaboration between the state and federal governments to provide water to the people. He said the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) water facilities at Aleto can be utilized by the authority to provide water not just to Ogale community but the entire Eleme Local Government Area.
“Government should use what we have on ground to provide water to the community,” he said.
He further confirmed that because of the presence of Benzyne on water in the area, the people have been asked to source for water outside to avoid an out of break of epidemic.