Water Scarcity In Nasarawa Eggon: Residents Rely On Contaminated Water

Water scarcity has reached alarming levels in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, with residents resorting to using stagnant pools, ponds, and other unsafe water sources for their daily needs.

In several communities, residents have been seen scooping murky water from shallow, open ponds, often contaminated with animal waste and debris. These dangerous water sources have become their only option for drinking, cooking, bathing, and washing, leading to serious public health concerns.

In Angwan Kuje, local resident Adefu Ruth expressed her frustration: “We haven’t had tap water for over two months. We now depend on this dirty water because we have no other choice.”

Similarly, Luka Akiwa spoke to DAILY POST correspondent, emphasizing the lack of action from local leaders: “We have a Senator and a Commissioner for Water Resources, whose homes are just about 400 meters from where the people fetch this water. Yet, nothing has been done.”

Jane Albert, another concerned resident, shared her distress: “This water smells and changes color every day. What can we do? Not everyone can afford bottled water or has the means to travel long distances for clean water.”

During a visit, the correspondent observed residents struggling to fetch water from a tanker, thought to have been donated by an indigene of the community to help alleviate the suffering.

Local leaders attribute the crisis to several failed boreholes, dried wells, and a general breakdown of public water infrastructure.

Despite the growing concerns, Muluku Aggah, the Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural Development in Nasarawa State, who hails from Nasarawa Eggon, has yet to publicly address the situation. Efforts to get a response from him were unsuccessful.

When the reporter visited the Ministry of Water Resources and Rural Development, a security guard at the gate confirmed that the Commissioner was not in the office. A ministry staff member, speaking anonymously, assured that the ministry was aware of the situation and was working on repairing some of the faulty boreholes. However, the staff member could not provide a timeline for when water supply would be restored.