Lagos State residents are to obtain registration permit for their boreholes on minimal charges. This is an effort by the state government to minimise underground water pollution and curtail water-borne diseases.
Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, who made this submission on Monday, April 10 2017, stated that the government would take an inventory of all boreholes in the state to trace sources of pollution of underground water.
Adejare was speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.
He noted that boreholes were windows into the aquifer.
He said: “Water is a resource that ought to be protected. This is why the government recognises the need to minimise the pollution of the underground water by controlling indiscriminate sinking of boreholes, which is a factor contributing to the pollution.
“No responsible government would fold its arms and allow uncontrolled pollution of underground water through the indiscriminate sinking of boreholes.
“By controlling sinking of boreholes, we would have done a lot to curtail the outbreak of water-borne diseases.”
Adejare urged that obtaining of the permit should not be taken to be that the government was against the sinking of boreholes and charging for borehole water.
He added: “The essence of obtaining a permit is to create a database of boreholes and ascertain the quality of water being consumed by Lagosians.
“The government has not introduced charges for consumption of water from boreholes neither has it criminalised the sinking of boreholes.”
Adejare said the government would apply charges as a measure of control for commercial users of boreholes.
According to him, consumption of a minimum of 50 drums per day qualifies as commercial usage of a borehole.
Adejare said no individual or household could use 50 drums of water in a day, except for commercial purposes.
Adejare said the state government would not prevent people from having access to good and potable water.