By Abdulrahman Abdullahi
The Enugu State government has just appointed the engineering company FordMarx Nigeria to carry out the complete rehabilitation of the water supply network in the 9th Mile Crash Programme in Enugu.
The state government has released 600 million Nigerian naira (nearly US$1.6 million) for the implementation of the project, which will eventually provide 28,000 cubic metres of water per day to the people of Enugu.
The government on 12 January 2021, signed a contract with FordMarx Nigeria for the rehabilitation of the drinking water network of the 9th Mile Crash Programme, which came into service in 1982.
In Enugu, the engineering company specialising in the fields of water and renewable energy will rehabilitate 12 boreholes powered by solar energy. The company will also rehabilitate a station that pumps water from the Oji, Ajali and Iva rivers. The contract also covers the rehabilitation of a small drinking water plant.
The modernisation of the 9th Mile Crash Programme’s drinking water network should guarantee the supply of 28,000 m3 of water per day to the populations of Enugu and the surrounding metropolises.
“Enugu faces a permanent water shortage that is exacerbated by the topography of the state. This makes access to groundwater difficult. According to WaterAid Nigeria, more than half (2.37 million) of Enugu’s people do not have access to basic water services.”
FordMarx Nigeria will be responsible for the maintenance of this water network for two years, says the Ministry of Water Resources of Enugu State.