THE NEW-HYDROPOWER Areas Development Commission (N-HYPADDEC) has completed and upgraded the New Bussa Waterworks in Niger which has been ongoing for between 60 to 70 years.
Its Managing Director, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq-Yelwa, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Tuesday.
He said, “This project has been ongoing for nearly seven decades and it has been a source of concern for the community.
“But, when HYPPADDEC came, we made it our prime activity and it has now been completed.
“The project is expected to be inaugurated on the 30th of this month for the people to start enjoying potable water.”
Sadiq-Yelwa said that the commission has also continued the construction of hand pumps and solar-powered boreholes in almost all the HYPADDEC states based on the availability of resources.
The managing director added that the commission has also sustained the clearing of waterways in its catchment states.
This, he said, was to curb the recurring menace of marine accidents caused by trees blocking the routes of boats.
“This always results in fatal accidents. So, we are now focusing on the rocks and we are partnering with NIWA in this direction,” he said.
Sadiq-Yelwa also said that the commission will provide fibre boats to the riverine communities to replace the local ones.
“The local boats are archaic and they often break up when over loaded and the drivers speed
“We have also provided life jackets to these communities and we are in the process of providing more.
“These measures are aimed at further reducing the recurring menace and saving lives,” the managing director added.
Sadiq-Yelwa explained that the commission is an ongoing concern and has been going on with its various activities and that he has been able to execute various projects of concern to all the HYPADDEC states.
He said that the commission has continued with its programme and activities that were meant to provide succour to the communities and also improve on their well-being.
Sadiq-Yelwa stated further that the commission has continued with it programmes of construction of schools, boreholes and resettlement housing schemes.
“We have decided to give much attention to the resettlement scheme because of the challenge of kind of flooding which the communities always face,” he said. (NAN)