The Katsina state government and UNICEF have so far spent N3 billion in the provision of clean and safe water to 3,500 communities in the 34 local government areas of the state, an official has said.
Executive director, state Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Alhaji Aminu Dayyabu, told journalists on Monday in Katsina that the amount was expended over the past four years by the two organisations.
He said Katsina state government contributed N1.5 billion as its counterpart funding while UNICEF also contributed N1.5 billion to provide water to the communities in the 34 local government councils.
“The borehole hand pumps were provided in rural communities and not in urban or semi-urban towns across the state,” the director said.
He said Katsina state government and UNICEF also intervened in 400 primary schools and some health centres by providing boreholes and toilets to improve the health conditions of the communities.
Dayyabu further disclosed that RUWASSA had established community mobilisation committees that would educate the rural populace that the boreholes belong to them.
He said the communities would be encouraged to take good care of the boreholes and avoid their misuse and break down.
“The local bicycles mechanic or grinding machine owner will be taught how to repair the boreholes so as not to depend so much on government for its maintenance.
“The state government is aware that there are several broken down boreholes provided by the national and state assemblies, local government chairmen and philanthropists in the communities,” he said
The director said the involvement of the communities in maintenance of the boreholes was to avoid their mishandling and subsequent breakdown and abandonment.
“Several boreholes were sunk across the state without the consent and knowledge of RUWASSA and they were misused by the communities and the agency does not want a repeat of that situation,’’ Dayyabu said. (NAN).
