Board, KEDCO trade blames as residents battles to survive acute water supply in Kano

Battling with the core duty to supply water to residents, Kano Water Board has accused Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) of failure to supply the energy required to power its water plants.

The board alleged that despite government monthly remittance of N500 million electricity bill, the distribution company has never met the energy need of the waterworks, rendering her incapacitated to supply water.

Speaking with journalists over the perennial cut in Kano, General Manager, Engineering, Kano Water Board,  Garba Ahmed Bichi, lamented that despite government frantic efforts, energy failure remains a major challenge.

Bichi decried the inability of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) to provide adequate power supply to its waterworks, particularly, the Tamburawa Water Treatment Plant which is supplying water to Kano city, where scarcity is currently biting hard.

He disclosed that the dilapidated state of generating sets which are serving as an alternative to KEDCO electricity was also part of the challenge.

Although Bichi explained the challenges of low capacity of first and second waterworks because of years of establishment, he said the Tamburawa waterworks is presently operating at 50 per cent capacity.

He put the current water demand of Kano at about 700 million litres per day and regretted that the board hardly generate 50 per cent of the demand.

“We also have the problem of power supply because most of the generators are broken down. In the semi-urban areas, the problems are not much because the generators are working well,” Bichi said.

“The major problem we have here is the Greater Kano, and it is caused by lack of adequate power supply.

Reacting to the government allegation, the management of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) refuted the claim of inadequate power supply to the water board.

In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Ibrahim Sani Shawai, KEDCO claimed the position of the water board was “totally false and baseless”.

It insisted that power supply in all states under KEDCO’s franchise area have witnessed a massive improvement in the last three months.

“The power supply statistics to Tamburawa water treatment plant in April shows 21:41hrs, in May: 22:16hrs while June shows 18:40hrs,” Shawai said. ” Similarly, at Challawa water plant, we supplied 22:48hrs in April, May: 22:42hrs and June: 21:14hrs.

“Based on the analysis, Challawa and Tamburawa get a daily power supply of between 20 and 23 hours. Also our feeders that supply Challawa and Tamburawa are important feeders to KEDCO as it will always get supply as long as there is supply from the national grid; so the claim by Kano Water Board has no base as far as KEDCO is concerned”.

KEDCO insisted that the inability of Kano Water Board to supply water has no relationship with the image of KEDCO, challenging the board to take responsibility for its inefficiency.