Water scarcity breeds deaths in Nasarawa
Life is no longer the same in Gudi, a small farming settlement in Nasarawa State, with a population of about 6,000. A dense, gloomy atmosphere overhangs the community as the residents mourn the deaths of their loved ones, mostly women and children, whose lives were suddenly cut short by an outbreak of cholera.
According to residents, the water-borne disease has claimed the lives of over 200 people, while the fate of several other residents on admission at the Gudi General Hospital still hangs.
Avoidable tragedy
For most residents of Gudi, the agony of watching the remains of loved ones, victims of the epidemic, being lowered into a fresh graves is unimaginable. It hurts even more to think that the deaths are caused by the absence of potable water supply in the community.
Investigation by one of our correspondents shows that Gudi has been without potable water since 2012 and despite appeals to the state government, nothing was done to ameliorate the suffering of the people. The residents had had no choice but to fetch water from the Baba Angwan stream for their daily use.
According to Alhaji Yusuf Danjuma, a resident whose relative died of cholera, three months ago, the water crisis took a turn for the worst when the stream suddenly dried up and members of the community had to travel a long distance to nearby towns and villages, including Keffi and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to get water.
Danjuma said, “When the stream dried up, some people decided to trek several kilometers to Abuja to get water. Others, who can’t do that have no option but to go to Keffi. We are dying of thirst.”
Tired of sharing their limited water supply with their needy neighbours, it was gathered, other communities resorted to chasing away residents of Gudi from their streams. The result, of course, is the loss of more lives due to lack of potable water in the area.
Danjuma appealed to the Governor of Nasarawa State, Umaru Al-Makura, to do everything possible to address the water crisis in Gudi, Akwanga, Garaku and Keffi Local Government Areas of the state.
He said, “The problem we are facing now is critical. We are calling on Governor Al-Makura to come to our aid.”
Drinking with cows and goats
Further investigation shows that the situation has plunged Gudi and its people into a deeper misery than imagined. Apart from the fact that water has now become a rare commodity in the community, some of the residents have abandoned their farmlands and properties for ‘greener pastures’ in neighbouring Benue State and Abuja.
One of our correspondents also gathered that some of the residents have, in a fit of desperation, resorted to drinking from the same stream as cattle.
“Many of us are farmers and cattle rearers. Sheep, goats and cows drink from the stream where some of us now fetch water. The water is often contaminated with faeces and other waste products,” a resident known as Abdullahi Nurah said.
Abandoned water plants
During a visit to a water plant at Akwanga, which supplies water to Akwanga, Gudi Garaku and Keffi and their environs, our correspondent observed that no work had commenced and nothing had been done to repair water pipelines that have been damaged.
An official of the state government, whom our correspondent met at the water plant, said the cost of repairing the damaged pipelines could be the reason why work had yet to commence at the site.
Polluted streams
Water, according to the science dictionary, is a colourless, odourless and tasteless liquid that is essential to human survival and existence. However, the reverse is the case in Kadeki, a community in the Panda Local Government Area also in Nasarawa State.
Apart from the fact that the water in the Kadeki stream is reddish in colour, it has a harsh displeasing taste and gives off an offensive odour.
Residents of Maramara, Angwa, Alura, Chada, Keho, Angwa Tsekiya and Gidan Dio communities in Panda Local Government Area, who also lost about 60 relatives to an outbreak of water-borne diseases, suspect that the deaths were caused by the polluted water from the stream, which they drink and use for other domestic purposes. According to them, the Kadeki stream is their only source of water.
The residents, who are predominantly farmers, said it was high time government came to their aid, as many of them had lost their loved ones to cholera, typhoid and diarrhoea epidemics in the last five years.
One Mr. Jatau Madaki argued that the polluted water was responsible for the recurring diseases often suffered by members of the communities.
“So far, we have lost many people to cholera, typhoid and other water-related diseases and government does not seem bothered by our plight,” he said.
Madaki, who is also a youth leader, said that although he had become used to the the polluted water over time, he was still getting rashes and other infections.
Gudi residents scooping water from a polluted stream
“I have adjusted to the situation over the years, but the rashes and itching have not stopped. The state government is not helping matters. Every time they come to us, they promise to extend the dividends of democracy to us. But we have yet to see any development. We have told them to build boreholes, but none of the politicians or government agencies have done so. Our children cannot continue to drink polluted water,” he said.
Fulani herdsmen as a factor
Another resident, Mr. John Ayiwulu, said Fulani herdsmen and some residents were the ones polluting the water from the stream.
Ajiwulu told one of our correspondents that after discovering that Fulani herdsmen had polluted the stream, some elders of his community made some efforts to cleanse it.
To ensure that the stream water was fit for drinking and domestic use, he noted, the community devised a local method of purification.
He said, “We usually wake up as early as 5 am to fetch water from the stream. If we don’t go that early, the Fulani herdsmen will bring their cattle to drink water. In the process, the animals always end up urinating in it. Sometimes, they insist that their cows drink from the stream before we fetch water. We have to comply because we don’t want trouble with them.
“Then we would allow the water to settle. It would still be brown in colour but at least the sand would have settled under. Then we would transfer it to another bucket then add alum to disinfect it.”
Lack of primary healthcare facilities
Residents of the communities also lamented that there was no clinic where the sick could get emergency medical attention.
They complained that each time somebody took ill, they were left with no other choice than to take them as far as Guduma, in another local government area, for treatment. And if the cases happened to be beyond the clinic there, they would rush the patient to the Federal Medical Centre in Keffi, many kilometres away. In most cases the patient died on the way to the hospital.
“It happens regularly and we want government to rescue us this time, we are tired of promises,” Madaki said.
Also, recounting his family’s grim battle with the epidemic, Aliyu Muhammed told our correspondent the situation was compounded by the inability of the people to gain access to modern healthcare services. According to him, the Gudi General Hospital is the only available health facility in the area and it is always filled with patients. As a result, a lot of sick people end up not getting treated and this leads to more deaths.
Government’s insensitivity
Musa Audu wished that government had been less insensitive to the plight of the affected communities and their people. “We are tired of lies and empty promises by government officials. We consider a government that does not have the interest of the people at heart nor add value to our lives as a fraud,” he said.
Also, a resident of Angwa Tsekiya community in Kadeki, Mrs. Mary Akulu, said her people had been complaining to the state government to come to their aid, but their efforts had yet to yield a positive response from any quarters.
Cholera claims over 10,000 lives in 10 years
There is an indication that water scarcity persists in many states in Nigeria, including the centre of excellence, Lagos, not just the northern states.
Lagos, the famous coastal city, has not been able to supply water to many of its residents in recent times.
Experts have identified perennial water scarcity across the country as a factor that has increased cholera deaths and outbreaks across the nation.
According to the World Health Organisation, cholera is an infectious disease that causes severe dehydration, diarrhoea and death. It is caused by eating food or drinking water that has been contaminated with a bacterium called Vibrio cholerae.
The global body noted that the disease was prevalent in countries, states and regions where access to safe water was a challenge and good sewage treatment systems a luxury.
Regarded as a disease of developing countries like Nigeria, the WHO stated that more than 70 per cent of cholera cases occurred in Africa, Mexico and few parts of Asia.
Water and Irrigation expert, Dr. Sunday Olanipekun, states that only 60 million out of the 160 million Nigerians had access to safe drinking water.
Olanipekun said that the danger in system whereby people were left to source for water on their own was that the quality of water they got might be compromised, thereby increasing their chances of getting infected with killer diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea.
He said,” Government should be the sole provider of water for the people. The reason why it should be so is that government has the funds, personnel and other wherewithal to treat water from the source. It would also be easier to control quality and also detect any contamination. If water comes from a controlled source, one can easily control the outbreak of water-borne diseases.
“But when I am given the choice of where to get my water, I will weigh it economically. Some may use water from rivers or streams that are contaminated with feaces, wastes and dirt without treating it to cook or even drink.”
Olanipekun stated that to reduce deaths and morbidity that Nigeria recorded yearly from cholera outbreaks, government and citizens must adopt a universal policy on water availability and treatment.
A physician with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Moruf Abdulsalam, noted that cholera outbreak was frequent in communities where there was poor sewage disposal and sanitation facilities.
Abdulsalam said, “You are likely to see cholera outbreaks in rural areas where seawater and sewage disposal is lacking. If an individual infected with cholera goes ahead to defecate in a river, people living in that community are at risk of it.”
Another physician, Dr. Lanre Talabi, noted that drinking contaminated water could also lead to gastro-intestinal diseases such as typhoid.
Talabi said, “Cholera goes from the faeces to the mouth and the causative organism, vibro cholerea, is found in faeces. When people defecate in streams, anyone who drinks the water will be infected. A hygienic environment is a must and every house should have a water facility.”
He advised residents to check the source of water they drink to prevent contamination and also watch out for the symptoms of cholera which include vomiting, watery stool, lethargy, confusion and abdominal pain.
So, if you or someone in the family is experiencing any of the symptoms, physicians say that one must take hasty steps to avert any loss of life.
A public health physician, Dr. Olarenwaju Ajayi, said parents whose kids had been stooling or vomiting for more than 12 hours should quickly apply zinc- oral rehydration solution, it could save lives if they could not reach their family doctor immediately.
He said mothers should continue to breastfeed till they can get to a health facility, “The scientific explanation is that the baby is losing water and antibodies. It is the breast milk that can replenish that till you get them to the hospital where they can get specialised treatment. Most babies die of cholera because they are dehydrated while they were stooling and the caregivers did not replace the water they lost.”
For adults, Ajayi noted that there was no effective remedy but for them to visit the nearest health centre for treatment which might include the use of antibiotics, administration of drips depending on the severity of the infection.
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