Bauchi — The Bauchi State government has awarded contract worth N4 billion for the drilling of motorized, solar and hand pump boreholes across the 20 Local Government Areas of the state.

State Commissioner of Water Resources, Bayaro Bukar, stated this at a one-day stakeholders forum organized by the ministry in collaboration with Leadership, Empowerment, Advocacy and Development (LEAD) a non-governmental organization (NGO) on water sector financing and citizens access to safe drinking water held in Bauchi yesterday.

Bukar stated also that over 231 motorized boreholes were awarded and that out of this number, 175 have been completed and commissioned while the remaining 56 have reached various stages of completion. He added that 200 hand pumped boreholes have also be constructed and commissioned.

He said that the boreholes were constructed in the communities, villages, secondary schools, higher institutions, hospitals, emirs' palaces as well as organizations with acute water shortage in order to end the perennial water scarcity in all parts of the state.

He said government had made effort and improved "Gubi water treatment plant and Azare water supply system, adding that because of the improvement, Gubi dam had increased daily water supply by 2.5m gallons in addition to previous 10 million per day"

Bukar said government had also set up committees on maintenance of boreholes drilled in all the nooks and crannies of the state including remote villages to ensure adequate maintenance of all the water schemes constructed.

He stressed the need to enlighten and sensitize the people on how to use the sources of water to ensure that they drink clean water in order to tackle the problem of cholera in the state.