FG commissions Sabke Dam 20 years after in Katsina

The Federal Government has commissioned the abandoned Sabke Dam in Katsina State 20 years after it was constructed.

The dam, located in Mai’adua Local Council of the state, was a project built by the defunct Petroleum Special Trust Fund (PTF) in 1998.

Also commissioned were the Dutsi and Mashi water supply projects.

The Sabke dam was, however, handed over to the state government.

Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Hussaini Adamu, who commissioned the projects on Monday, also said the Zobe Dam, which is in 80 per cent completion stage, would be completed in the next 12 months.

Adamu said: “The Sabke Dam, irrigation and water supply project, was first conceived under the defunct Petroleum Special Trust Fund (PTF) in 1998 under the then PTF Chairman, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

“Glory be to Allah after several years of neglect, we have the project being commissioned today under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The Sabke Dam water supply scheme is a conventional water treatment plant with the capacity to provide 4,372 cubic metres per day, one million gallons per day of potable water to Daura and environs.

“The Dutsi and Mashi water schemes are plants with each having capacity to provide 1,000 cubic metres per day for about 250 gallons of treated water to Dutsi and Mashi inhabitants.

“The three plants have a combined capacity to serve over a hundred thousand people daily. We have also provided for the construction of 38 boreholes to serve all the villages along the Sabke water transmission pipeline.”

Besides, Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, who spoke at event, said the project was the second commissioned in the week after the one in Edo State.

Also, Governor Aminu Bello Masari said measures would be introduced to look after the project by both government and end-users to ensure it is maintained, sustained and maximally utilised.

Masari, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mustapha Inuwa, commended the Federal Government for reviving the project, which had been abandoned for decades.