Kwara govt shuts Asa Dam waterworks for rehabilitation

…orders removal of illegal structures, fish ponds upstream

The Kwara State Government has temporarily shut down the Asa Dam Waterworks in Ilorin to allow for the rehabilitation of the facility and restore efficient water treatment and supply to residents of the metropolis.

The State Commissioner for Water Resources, Usman Yunusa Lade, disclosed this on Thursday during an inspection of the Asa Dam Waterworks.

Lade said the lamella clarifier units at the water treatment plant had collapsed, while the filter beds had become clogged with debris due to the heavy inflow of effluent and waste into the dam.

According to him, the situation has been worsened by the activities of fish farmers operating upstream, whose continuous discharge of wastewater from fish ponds has affected the performance of the waterworks.

He said the activities had also contributed to the spread of water hyacinth, while raising environmental and public health concerns.

The commissioner said Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq had approved the immediate commencement of rehabilitation works at the facility.

He explained that the first phase of the project would involve evacuating the damaged lamella components and cleaning the treatment basins.

Lade also directed owners of illegal structures and fish ponds located upstream of the Asa Dam to remove them ahead of an enforcement exercise by the state government.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, Asonibare Christiana, appealed to residents, particularly those in areas affected by the temporary disruption, to bear with the government during the rehabilitation period.

She assured residents that the rehabilitation works would be completed promptly and that normal water supply would resume as soon as possible.