Leaking Petroleum Pipeline Has Contaminated Our Water – Community

 

Residents of Baruwa area of Lagos State, a community hosting high pressure pipeline conveying premium motor spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, to other parts of South West states are in dire need of potable water.
The pipeline is operated by an arm of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC).
A major underground water pollution occurred in the area in 1998 and contaminated sources of water supply to the area and the community since then have complained in vain to the NNPC and Lagos State Government to provide alternative water supply to them.

Due to lack of adequate security to guard the pipeline, vandals often invade the community in attempts to break the pipeline and steal petrol.
The paramount leader of the community, and Baale of Baruwa, Alhaji Halid Baruwa told source at the weekend that efforts to deal with the vandals have been resisted because of the sophisticated arms they use. The traditional ruler said that the community, under the aegis of the Central Community Development Association, Ipaja, have laid several reports and threatened court actions without success.
“At one point the NNPC came sunk three boreholes for the community but non has been commissioned and is therefore non functional.
On the 26, of October 2015 we wrote a letter to the general manager Lagos state environmental protection agency (LASEPA) on the abandoned 3 boreholes sunk for Baruwa community as a palliative measure for water pollution, but we have not received any positive reply” the octogenarian retired public servant lamented.
He said two of the boreholes have been fully completed but said the community insisted LASEPA should take sample of the water to the laboratory to determine the level of purity before commissioning.
The Baale further noted that during the town hall meeting conducted by the Lagos State House of Assembly, the community presented its plight to the Legislator representing Alimosho constituency, Hon. Abdulrahman Adebisi Yusuf.
“At the meeting we presented our case to him, specifically we complained about the perennial water pollution since 1998 and that we have done several letters to the House and the governor.
We also notified him that the contractor handling Moshalasi-Ipaja-Ayobo dual carriage way damaged the Sakamori water pipeline and the Abesan housing estate, the closest areas we get supply from” he said.
Alh. Baruwa also complained of lack of security around the pipeline area which made it prone to vandalisation.
“We have called for community led effort to monitor the Right-Of-Way (ROW) of the pipeline but it has not been considered by government.
Once in a while they will send police and army, in the morning you see them later they will not be there again.
Our lives are at risk and we source water from water vendors for our domestic use. For agriculture which sustains us, that is no longer thriving and our livestocks have been depleted” Baruwa cried out.





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