The Ogun State Government, has launched the implementation of the groundwater abstraction scheme, aimed at providing the much needed regulatory intervention for sustainable use of water from such formations.
At a ceremony held at the Cultural Centre, kuto, Abeokuta, the state capital, the state Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, represented by his Deputy, Mrs Yetunde Onanuga, said this became imperative in order to provide a platform for data gathering.
Under the scheme, companies intending to commercialize ground water abstraction for agriculture and manufacturing purposes shall be licensed to withdraw groundwater, as being practiced in developed nations of the world.
“One of the major objectives of the water abstraction control scheme is to provide a platform for data gathering on the various groundwater abstraction facilities in the state, either existing ones or those to be drilled in the future.
“The implementation of the scheme will also provide for continuous monitoring of the quality of water coming out of the aquifers and the quality of the abstraction system.
“The information from such exercise will enable the state to proactively respond to identified area of potential risk through appropriate and timely policy strategic action plans”.
Speaking on behalf of some of the key stakeholders present at the occasion, the chairman of borehole association in the state pledged the unalloyed support of the association for the scheme.
“This is another initiative by the state government and it imperative on us that we must support this, we stand to derive maximum benefit from the scheme if all of us play our roles as expected”.
Water plays a critical and key role in human existence, used for personal hygiene, for domestic and industrial use Government over the years has not been able to meet up with the challenges of providing this essential commodity, hence the involvement of the private sector whose activities have in a way not been effectively regulated.
In effect of this, the state government, policy makers, water resource managers, water tanker operators, borehole drillers, industrialists and other end users are here to launch the implementation of water abstraction scheme in the state to provide platform for data gathering.
To ensure the success of the scheme, the state government said it is reviewing the existing legal frameworks in the state.
