As the world marks World Water Day today, a non-governmental organization, Waterways Foundation has called on governemnt at all levels to provide potable water to citizens in rural areas across the country.
The group in a statement signed by its Founder, Mr Femi Philips Ogunjumelo on Monday lamented that people who live in rural areas in the country don’t have access to hygienic water thereby susceptible to diseases.
He said, “A lot of those who live in rural communities in Nigeria often drink untreated water – mostly from streams – because they can’t access potable water which should have been provided by the government as one of its core responsibilities to the people.
“Often times these people contract all sorts of water-borne ailments simply because they can’t afford to provide potable and clean water for themselves.”
He called on the government, especially at the state level, to resuscitate the public water works that used to be in place in the past.
“It’s the responsibility of the governemnt to provide potable water to the people. It’s a basic responsibility that should not be neglected,” he added.
As part of its social responsibilities, the Foundation has been providing clean water to some communities in Ondo State through drilling of boreholes and solar powered clean water for the people.
World Water Day is celebrated every March 22. Its observance began in 1993 as designated by the United Nations.
It’s a day dedicated to celebrating water and raising awareness about the global water crisis.
A core focus of the observance is to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.
The theme of this year’s celebration is ‘Valuing Water’
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