Lagos State Government has that its position on regulatory permits for borehole drillers in the state has not changed.
This was made known by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, at an engagement by the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources and Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission.
The government said is to prevent depletion of groundwater resources, ensure water governance, management and appropriate regulations.
Wahab, represented by Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, Mahmood Adegbite, said, “The first thing is to understand we need to treat ground water as a rare resource. It is an important resource that we need to manage. So, we call on drillers, to work with the government.
‘‘You need a licence, we want to know who is doing what and where, it’s based on class, if you’re in class A, this is what you can do.”
Executive Secretary of LASWARCO, Funke Adepoju, noted this will ensure that regulations are adhered to and enforcement strengthened for compliance to safeguard the environment.
“The meeting is to make operators familiar with government’s plans. LASWARCO is not out to punish anyone, but to ensure compliance with regulatory provisions.
“A driller needs a licence to operate and whoever is having commercial borehole needs a permit. After drilling, we need to have a borehole completion report for planning…’’
Olufemi Idowu from Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Olufemi Idowu, described the engagement as opportunity to take decisions and a trajectory to promote development.
On the socio-economic impact of unregulated groundwater abstraction in a sedimentary terrain, Prof. Idowu said ‘if groundwater extraction is not regulated with the increasing population, the water quantity will diminish’.
