To avert the looming fresh water crisis by the year 2025, a draft bill is in the works by the Federal Government that would regulate the use of fresh water when it is passed into law by the National Assembly.
Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe dropped the hint yesterday in Abuja while fielding questions from newsmen, saying the move became necessary to avert water crisis and access to portable water.
When this law becomes operational, the minister added, “It would strengthen the Integrated Water Management Commission that will serve as the regulator.”
Continuing, the minister noted: “But you know that the Commission has not been active. We have been waiting for a law setting up the Commission to be assented to, so it can carry out its regulatory activities. Because the law is not active, people are constructing boreholes anyhow.
“If you go to an estate, instead of one borehole, if there are 40 houses, you are likely to have 40 boreholes. This is not proper because the ground water we have is limited and we need to control its usage.
?“We are working on the law so that we will be able to regulate the use of water.”
The minister further explained that 2010 data produced by some consultants commissioned by the ministry to access the availability of portable water showed that the country has a coverage of 58 percent. She said that the assessment for 2011 was on going.
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