The Kano State Government has announced plans to invest $3.5 million in reviving the historic Challawa Water Treatment Plant as part of efforts to tackle the growing water supply challenges in the state capital.
Constructed in 1930 during the reign of the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Abdullahi Bayero, the facility is the state’s first water treatment plant.
The Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Haruna Doguwa, disclosed the plan during a facility tour, noting that the restoration would cost $3.5 million, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He said the project would involve replacing critical components, such as valves, pipes, and ventilators, that had been vandalized or stolen, a situation that has contributed to persistent water shortages in parts of Kano city.
“The state’s Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Haruna Doguwa, said it would cost the government $3.5 million to reactivate the Challawa Water Treatment Plant.
“Doguwa said the government had placed orders for equipment to be used for the reactivation of the water treatment plant,” the NAN report read in part.
He also visited the Gwauron Dutse water tanks, where he condemned the looting of essential infrastructure. According to him, thieves vandalised and stole key components from the tanks located atop Gwauron Dutse Hill, further exacerbating water supply issues in parts of Kano city.
Doguwa assured residents that the government is committed to restoring full functionality to the affected facilities and improving water distribution across the state capital.
More insights
The Managing Director of the Kano State Water Board, Alhaji Garba Bichi, also shed light on the deteriorated condition of the Challawa Water Treatment Plant during the facility assessment.
According to Bichi, the plant has remained non-operational for the past eight years, leading to a significant reduction in the volume of potable water available to residents across several parts of Kano city.
- He explained that this prolonged dormancy has placed enormous strain on the state’s water infrastructure, making it increasingly difficult to meet the growing demand for safe and reliable water.
- Bichi further attributed the plant’s decline to widespread looting and acts of vandalism, which resulted in the destruction and theft of essential components such as raw water pumps, electrical starters, and control systems. These critical parts are necessary for the plant’s functionality, and their absence has left it unable to process and distribute water to the public.
Once the rehabilitation is complete, the revitalized Challawa Water Treatment Plant is expected to restore a substantial portion of Kano’s water supply, particularly benefiting neighborhoods that have endured prolonged shortages and unreliable distribution.
