By Chuwang Dungs, Gombe.

Some residents within Gombe Metropolis have decried over water shortage that has hit there communities for over three weeks now.

The ugly development is coming barely one month after the state Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya gave a directive to the State Water Supply Agency to ensure adequate and constant water supply to all residents within Gombe metropolis.

The water shortage is reportedly caused by break down in the water supply system managed by the state Water supply agency.

A resident of Barundi, along Gombe bye pass who identified himself as Ahmadu Umaru told Journalists on Monday that for almost 20 days, there is no water supply from the water taps they have in their homes.

He said before the advent of this administration Residents of the area and other neighbouring communities used to receive daily water supply by the Water Agency.

Ahmadu said the water taps went dry after the water agency cut off supply to their community on the grounds of illegal connections.

“We cast our votes for this new Government with the hope of changing our basic living conditions for the better, only for it to get worse. Since they came to power, we have not benefited from any basic social amenity like portable water supply, making life very difficult for us,” he said;

The community leader of the area, Mohammed Bello who also confirmed the development to newsmen said, it is not true that the connection were done illegally.

According to him all the connections in the area were done legally by the authority and they all have their official receipts to support their argument.

While calling on government to quickly intervene in resolving the issue in other to reduce the hardship they are going through, he said residents have now resorted to buying water from water tankers and water supplied by water vendors at a very exorbitant rate.

The community leader revealed that resident spent N400 on 10 jerry cans of water.

“Since the beginning of this water problem we have to buy 10 jerry cans for N300 to N400 which is expensive for me,” he said.

“Doing domestic house work such as washing has become so difficult,” he added.

As the town residents faced water problems, Hassan Yahaya, who sells water on wheel barrow said it is an opportunity for him to make money.

He told our correspondent that since the water demand in Residential areas has increased, he has raised the price of water per jerry can from N10 to N50, and if the buyer is buying the complete wheel barrow of 10 jerry he can sell it at N400.

“I supply over one hundred jerrycans of water to different households in Wuro beriji, Barunde and other neighbouring communities on a daily basis. Because of the distance of the place where we get clean water this has made me to increase the price so that I can serve those who are really in need and serious buyers,” Hassan said.

The water shortage has forced some residents like Hadiza to fetch water from some ponds and wells for cooking, washing clothes and cleaning house.

Hadiza told our reporter that though she has fears of using the pond water for cooking because it is not clean, the water problems has left her with no option.

“I hope the problem can be fixed but for now the wells and surrounding ponds is our only option though we can’t drink it but we can use it for other purposes.,” she said

Reacting to the development the State chairman Gombe task force on water supply and overseeing officer of the state water agency, Engineer Abubakar Bappah, said those areas complaining were cut off from supply due to illegal connection on the transmission line.

He explained that in the past the areas used to enjoy 24 hour water supply as a result of illegal connection from the Dadin kowa transmission line which he said affected water distribution to major areas within Gombe metropolis.

He said most of the illegal tapping were connected to Orchards, block industries and underground reservoirs for commercial purposes to the detriment of most parts of Gombe.

He said the disconnection was done in their quest to have water in many parts of the state capital. “And we have no choice but to disconnect them.”

Bappah said as a matter of urgency the agency provided water tankers to the communities affected as a palliative measure.

According to him some agreed to make use of the tankers while some of the communities rejected the idea insisting that they should be reconnected to the transmission line, threatening to set any tanker that come to there community ablaze.