Abuja — A bill on water policy, which would allow the private sector fully participate in the building of dams, purification and transmission of clean water to homes will soon be presented to the National Assembly for deliberations.

Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Water Resources, Hon. Abayomi Sowande Collins, who dropped the hint yesterday while reviewing activities of his committee, expressed hope that when passed the water policy bill would stimulate the private sector to invest in water projects which governments alone cannot at present be able to fund because of the quantum of money involved.

He said the amount required by government to provide clean and drinking water all over the country was so enormous that it would take the entire budget of the country for a whole year.

Collins, who expressed displeasure over the water scarcity experienced in the Federal Capital Territory, attributed the situation to the slow pace of work at the Gurara water project which was to augment water supply to Abuja.

"We feel very uncomfortable the way the project is going but at the appropriate time we will call for the books.

"If a city like Abuja has no water for the people to drink and there is a fire outbreak, how will they contain it bearing in mind there is no contingency arrangement," he said.

The lawmaker hoped the executive arm of government will release money as was appropriated in this year's budget for the project to be completed.

On the nation's River Basin Authorities, which were set up to stimulate irrigated and mechanised system of agriculture, the committee chairman decried their pitiable state and wondered why the past military regimes decided to auction their equipment which were supposed to be working with and the staff have remained idle but were being paid for doing nothing.