By: Felix Ikpotor
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) says it is deeply disturbed by the collapse of the overhead tank at the newly commissioned Gwara Water Station in Khana LGA, Rivers State.
The water project which was commissioned alongside that of Bane Community last Saturday, collapsed Wednesday morning barely four days after it was commissioned by Environment Minister, Balarabe Abbas Lawal.
The water project is part of the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report on Ogoniland.
In the interim, HYPREP says it Project Coordinator, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, has constituted a high level committee to immediately visit the site and commence investigation into the immediate and remote cause of this unfortunate incident.
Consequently, it said the Committee has visited the site and will be painstaking in its investigation to establish likely “structural failure or third-party interference”.
HYPREP further empathised with the Gwara community and asks for calm as steps are being taken to ensure that the damaged facility is being restored, and water reticulated to affected communities.
”HYPREP remains committed to continue to deliver quality projects that meet best standards. It has introduced both internal and external measures to ensure quality assurance and control. This includes the engagement of a Project Consultant, EcoProject, supervision from the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit and Water Supervisors among others, ” the agency said.
”But for this isolated case, 16 Water Stations have been commissioned, supplying water to over 40 communities. Some of them have been running for over 2 years, ” it added.
HYPREP added that robust sustainability plans are being adopted to ensure the water projects continue to serve communities which includes the constitution of the Water Consumers Association (WCA), construction of solar farms for alternative power supply and training of laboratory staff.
It explained that one of the unique features of the HYPREP Water Project is the laboratory to ensure that water supplied to communities meets the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) standard.
