Water Scarcity Grips Gudban/Korko Community in Adamawa state as Vital Borehole Falls into Disrepair

Water Scarcity Grips Gudban/Korko Community in Adamawa state as Vital Borehole Falls into Disrepair

The community of Gudban/Korko in Ga’anda Ward, Gombi Local Government Area, is facing a severe water shortage, leaving residents with no choice but to wait for hours to fetch water or pay exorbitant prices from vendors.

The crisis has been exacerbated by a windstorm last year that damaged the community’s only functional solar-powered borehole, a project facilitated by a member of the House of Representatives. The storm blew away one of the solar panels, significantly reducing the system’s capacity to pump water into its storage tanks.

“Before the damage, we had a steady flow of water. Now, with one panel missing, the pumping capacity is greatly reduced,” a resident explained. The borehole now struggles to fill two small tanks, forcing hundreds of residents to endure long queues for hours to access the limited supply.

The situation is made worse by the fact that the area’s other hand pump borehole is also non-functional, leaving the solar borehole as the sole source of potable water for the entire unit.

The area affected is vast, stretching from the Primary School to the Police Station and beyond, covering the expanse from Korko to Hayin-Korko. As the most populous unit in the ward, Gudban/Korko is a significant constituency, known for consistently recording the highest voter turnout during elections.

With the public water supply crippled, residents are forced to turn to private vendors. A single jerrycan of water, a basic necessity, now costs N100, a price that is unsustainable for many families struggling to make ends meet.

In an urgent appeal to their elected representatives, community leaders are calling for immediate intervention. Mallam Danladi Jauro Hande, speaking on behalf of the affected communities, pleaded with officials from the Councillor to the Senatorial level to address the crisis.

“We are appealing to all our representatives to come to our aid urgently,” Mallam Danladi said. “If this borehole is not repaired and alternative sources are not provided, our people will be left at the mercy of waterborne diseases. This is a health emergency in the making. The government and those we elected must act fast.”

The community is demanding not only the replacement of the blown-off solar panel to restore the current borehole to full capacity but also the construction of three additional boreholes to adequately serve the sprawling unit and prevent future shortages.