The Delta State Government said it will not compel residents to key into the various water programmes and policies.

The State Commissioner for Water Resources Development, Sir Fidelis Tilije, disclosed this Thursday while addressing journalists at the ongoing ministerial press briefing on the activities and achievements of his ministry at the Conference Hall of the Ministry of Information, Asaba.

According to Sir Tilije, “We will not force Deltans to key into our schemes. We will try as much as possible to sensitize our people on the need and that is why we will continuously carry out advocacy, making people to understand the laws and benefits. Although there are enforceable clauses, like before you sink a bore hore, you must get permit from the Ministry.”

The Commissioner disclosed that his Ministry was currently moving away from erecting water tap stands in urban centres but rather embracing the idea of delivering water directly to homes of consumers, saying the trend was to give the urban towns truly regional outlook in water supply.

“We will not do water stand in Asaba. We are changing to regional water schemes that will be delivered directly to your homes and you pay as you go. We are experimenting with Asaba and Ughelli and we will connect consumers from Trunk A Lines based on request.”

He added that the few tap stands in towns and cities were positioned to indicate that water was available, affirming that water was available in so many places, but connection would be on request, stressing that the policy of the Delta State Urban Water Board was to make consumers pay for water consumption.

On testing of water as a policy of the State Government, the Commissioner noted that the essence was not for government to generate money but to make boreholes healthy, disclosing that the State Governor had directed the subsidizing of the process by reducing the price from N10,000.00 to N5,000.00.

“It is even being subsidized and also to make for a healthy water consumption. We can reduce the cost of medical bill by over 50 percent and by reducing the cost of healthcare we are improving on the productive capacity of our people,” Sir Tilije argued.

According to the Water Resources Development Commissioner, one of the biggest challenges facing his Ministry was that of reticulation of water to homes of consumers, stating that government was finding it extremely difficult to expand it reticulation coverage due to the high cost of it.

He recalled that State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, had been very supportive of his Ministry, being the pioneer Commissioner in charge of the Ministry, and had left behind a very sound structure, which the Commissioner said had made him to always be on his toes to deliver on the mandates of the Ministry.