RESIDENTS of Calabar South, Akpabuya, Odukpani, Calabar Municipality and Akamkpa Local Government Areas of Cross River State have decried the alleged conversion of the vast expanse of land housing the state water board, the source of water supply to the five council areas into a new residential layout.
A functional borehole head on a portion of the land sold at Cross River State Water Board Treament Plant yard. The conversion of the area into residential layout, the residents alleged, is posing hazard of monumental dimension to the board’s water treatment plant. Experts had earlier raised concerns about the raw water which comes from Qua River, stressing that the dumpsite at LEMNA axis was affecting the ground water in the area from which the treatment plant gets its water supply, describing it as a time bomb waiting to explode.
Scramble for land Findings by NDV showed that a large portion of the land hosting the water treatment facility has been sold to private individuals and some government appointees including prominent monarchs in the metropolis. The source said: “It is unfortunate that the Ministry of Lands sold the place to private individuals at N6 million a plot while they allotted same to their cronies at the detriment of the people’s health. Structures built on water pipes “People in Calabar South, Calabar Municipality, Akpabuyo, Odukpani, and Akamkpa are all at risk because the water we treat is circulated to these LGAs and when people now build on top of the raw water pipes, what happens when there is damage? “
As we speak, people have erected storey buildings on our 900mm raw water pipes that carry water directly from the intake with 450 cubic metre/hour (velocity). “Even the diesel reservoir was dug out and the place sold. The staff quarters have also been sold and this is pathetic. It is wrong and unacceptable, we are taking a very big risk.”
Source: Vanguard
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