No fewer than 21 communities in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State have been targeted to benefit from the proposed plan to provide to potable water projects within six months.
The Chairman of the council, Barrister Erastus Awortu announced this while commissioning over 10,000-litre-capacity potable water facilities, five-cubic metre water treatment plants and 3.5KVA standby generators to guarantee steady water supply to Asuk-Oyet and Asuk-Ama communities in Andoni LGA.
The commissioning comes months after the completion and delivery of solar-powered potable water projects with state-of-the-art water treatment plants and reticulation network at the Isiokwan District of Andoni.
Awortu said his administration has already concluded plans to make potable water available in no fewer than 21 communities in Andoni within the next six months.
He said the target was part of the promises made to reduce cholera outbreak and other water-borne diseases in the area.
He tasked the people of Asuk Oyet and Asuk-Ama communities to see the projects as another measure against cholera as well as effort to reduce expenses of having good water in the area.
The council boss urged the people to make good use of the water facilities, saying that the community would only reciprocate the good gesture by taking appropriate care of the projects.
Speaking at the occasion, the Chairman, Council of Chiefs of Asuk-Ama Community, Chief James Athanasius Ata-Ije Asuk, described the gesture as a big relief for the community that has suffered from lack of safe drinking water and consequent health implications for many years.
He assured that they would take full ownership of the water project and ensure its protection.
“I am particularly happy with the provision of the potable water facility by the council Chairman, Erastus Awortu.
“Prior to this period, we have suffered a great deal as a people due to lack of this essential resource of life over the years. I often feel very bad each time I return home with my friends, and we don’t have water in our community; that is not what it should be.
“We have had issues of cholera. The first cholera outbreak in this community was as result of low quality of drinking water because we always drank from ground well.
“However, most of the challenges have been surmounted by the council chairman. As you can see, there is water treatment plant, additional tanks provided. The chairman has also promised to construct reticulation network to efficiently distribute the water across the community for easy access by the people, and we thank him more for that”, he said.
The Community Development Committee Chairman of Asuk-Ama Community, Hon. Roland Iyeoron, said that prior to the intervention by Awortu, their source of drinking water was highly contaminated with harmful chemicals.
The Woman Leader of the community, Mrs Rhoda Ekens Abbey, while commending Awortu for the project, lamented that the community has suffered from several water-borne diseases as well as reproach in the past as a result of lack of safe drinking water.
The Youth President of Asuk-Ama Community, Nna Israel assured that the youths would ensure the protection of the water facility.
On his part, the Paramount Ruler of Asuk-Oyet Community, Chief Brown David also commended Awortu for the gesture, and promised that the community would protect the water facility from being vandalised.

By: Enoch Epelle