|
 Published
June 8th, 2010
The supply and affordability of water is of growing
political and economic concern in Nigeria as it is
increasingly recognized that safe water is not only
essential for health, but also for social and economic
development. That was why residents of Iyiowa Odoekpe in
Ogbaru Local Government Area, Anambra State recently took to
the streets to protest against the N35, 000 levy for
boreholes imposed on them by a government agent. Ordinarily,
one would not be expected to make this a talking point in a
country where more than 80% of its citizens do not have
access to clean portable drinking water.
This analysis was however made a moral imperative when I
read one of the placards; "Governor Obi, are you happy that
our children are drowning in the River Niger and Idemili
River in search of water?" Moreover as part of his economic
and developmental blue print for Anambra state, governor
peter Obi in 2006 promised to “To provide indigenes of the
state potable drinking water this 21st Century.” It was
therefore sad to see the government of Obi not only renege
on its promise but also acting in a manner that will make
the water situation worse for the citizenry.
Environmental cost of unregulated private boreholes
Having lived in Onitsha and its environs for years, one
thing I observed and which expert will tell you is that
indiscriminate and unregulated boreholes drilling leads to
unreliability of the wells. As more wells are dug and water
pumped to the surface, the water table in the aquifer falls.
This reduces the lifespan of the wells, increases the cost
of future drilling that taps from the same local geology and
consequently the cost of liter of water eventually sold to
the public.
All water projects have environmental impacts in the
sense that in their gestation and working lives, they induce
weak or strong changes in defined ecosystems. Moreover,
unregulated private water supplies can pose a risk to health
unless they are properly protected and treated. They may
become contaminated with microbes, such as bacteria, or
chemicals. Some of these are harmless, but others may cause
serious illness, particularly in vulnerable people such as
the elderly, very young, pregnant women and sick people.
So, rather than impose a fee of thirty five thousand
Naira on owners of these private wells, the government of
Anambra state should first, provide an alternative source of
clean water supply and then carefully review existing
private wells with the view to regulate. It is then that
monetization of environmental impacts of any private
borehole can be seen as a good approach to incorporating
environmental effects and subsequently a source of internal
revenue generation.
Economic
cost
In cities throughout Nigeria, the reliability of the
formal water supply is so unreliable that houses build
in-house storage tanks and sink wells. According to John
Briscoe of World Bank, the size of this hidden water economy
dwarfs the size of visible water economy. In major cities
like Onitsha, Nnewi and Awka the revenue collected by water
vendors is 90 times revenue collected by formal water
utility. Impoverished Anambralians living in slums on are
being forced to pay five times as much as people living in
rich nations for a liter of clean water.
The existence of this water economy shows that there is
high demand for services which has not been successfully
provided by the formal sector as evidenced by the
preponderance of private boreholes and sachet water.
Although some of these services are provided efficiently by
the vibrant local private sector, the cost of services is
exorbitant. This is because the informal providers cannot
take advantage of the large economies of scale involved in
transmitting water by pipe rather than by vehicle and
private wells.
What Anambra
State Government should do
Rather than use the excuse of Internally Generated
Revenue (IGR) to further compound the water crisis in
Onitsha and other towns and villages in the state, the state
Government should provide clean water to Anambralians by
revitalizing the various water schemes in the state.
A greater percentage of urban dwellers in Anambra State
purchase water from street vendors or depend on private
wells. The implication of this for the state water board is
that there is enormous reservoir of resources which can be
drawn into the formal sector at a reduced cost for all. But
this can only happen if the formal sector can provide water
those consumers need at a responsive and accountable way.
Was it not Chinua Achebe that said that "A man who lives
on the banks of the Niger (river) should not wash his hands
in spittle." The good people of Anambra state that lives at
the banks of Idemili, Anambra and Niger Rivers should not be
allowed to drown in them in search of drinking water,
neither should they be allowed to take their bath and wash
their clothes with spittle.
There is no reason why the government cannot draw water
from River Niger, filter and disinfect the water to meet
safe drinking water standards. This is what cities in
advanced and developing countries do. This is what Peter Obi
should set out to accomplish for the state in order to truly
distinguish himself from the rest of Nigerian politicians.
No excuses. The state government should also exploit the
artesian water system in Anambra basin in order to boost
potable water supply.
The substantive mission of water resources policy in the
state should be to supply water of sufficient quantity and
appropriate quality to users in household, agriculture,
industry and other sectors. Until a committed and positive
action is taken by relevant government agencies towards
comprehensively addressing the water crisis in the state,
private borehole in Onitsha and other cities will remain a
viable unregulated business. Anambra state government and
its revenue agents should know that taxing private borehole
is not part of the solution.
Churchill.okonkwo@gmail.com |
