Proliferation of boreholes will increase earth tremors in Abuja – FG

The Federal Government raised an alarm on Friday about a possible rise in earth tremors due to the proliferation of boreholes in Abuja.

Magashi Bashir, the Executive Director of the Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission, disclosed this to journalists in his remarks while receiving the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, who was on an inspection visit.

He revealed that Abacha Barracks in Abuja might experience tremors if something is not done to address the rate of borehole drilling in the area.

Bashir urged that there is a need for landlords to jointly drill boreholes instead of embarking on several drilling projects that cause harm to the environment.

“I have been talking to the drillers organisations. This has been a menace; the problem is that the commission cannot stop private individuals from building a borehole. That is why you have all the proliferation of boreholes, and the water board cannot provide sufficient water to the people.

“It is a significant cause of problems in the country, particularly the tremor in Abuja. We had a problem in Mpape; another problem might be around the Abacha barracks, where we have the new estates. I was there last time; there were a lot of boreholes everywhere. We need to be more organised. The Water Resources Bill is not saying people should not drill boreholes, but to be more organised,” he said.

On November 1, 2018, Abuja experienced an earth tremor around the Mpape area. A similar incident occurred on September 5, 2018, that lasted three days in the same place and some parts of the Maitama district in the Federal Capital Territory.