Blessing Ituma
On the occasion of World Water Day 2024, water producers have been advised to observe estreem hygiene in the factories to prevent contaminating the water they produce.
They are also urged to ensure standards by adding the expiration date label on the products.
Since 1993, the 22nd of March has been observed annually as World Water Day; a day for reflection and to spur action to tackle the global water crisis. The 2024 edition follows the theme ‘Leveraging water for peace.
It emphasises that when water is polluted or when people have no access to water, tensions can rise between communities leading to conflict.
Dr Mary wogu in portharcourt thinks there is a lot that water producers can do to check conflicts and complaints arising from water.
Dr. Wogu noted that water not adequately treated would expose consumers to such diseases as cholera, hapithis A and typhoid.
” I will advise those that produce water to help us especially those that are in the factories, let them try to maintain extreme hygiene because if they don’t observe that hygiene, they can get the water contaminated and at the same time they bottle the water”
An Environmentalist, Professor hyginus oku speaking on the observance cautioned water producers and members of the public against digging boreholes near septic tank.
“because we have so much of surface water, the boreholes depth in the Niger Delta is shallow and as a result of that , there’re several dagers. One, the danger of flow of septic waste of suckaway chambers get into some of these Wells and as a result of that, you see bacteria often times there’re significant number of the population suffering typhoid because most of them depend on these boreholes for drinking”
A consumer who is the paramount ruler of rumuevolu, in obio akpor local government area, Eze Christian Akani advised the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other regulatory agencies to intensify the monitoring of water producers as they do on phamaceutical products.
“NAFDAC should intensify their efforts. It sums they’re only considering drugs. They should go to the markets public places, identify with the communities even the traditional rulers , èpecially the satchet water , there is no provision for expiring date. These can reduce the diseases around.”
Other consumers speak of their experience with satchet water.
“some satchet water have bad test, they should test better. For satchet water, you will and then you notice that they have bad test. Maybe it’s from the producer or maybe the water has been stored for a very long time, that is something they need to improve on.”
The united nations maintains that when everyone cooperates on water, we create a positive ripple effect that would foster public health and prosperity, food, energy and environmental integrity.
