In a strategic effort to boost water supply in Kano city, the state government has begun the process of reviving the long-abandoned Challawa Water Treatment Plant, a landmark facility built 95 years ago.
Constructed in 1930 during the reign of the late Emir Alhaji Abdullahi Bayero, the plant was the first of its kind in Kano and once delivered 20 million cubic litres of water daily to the metropolis. However, it has remained dormant for the past eight years due to prolonged neglect.
During a tour of the facility, the Managing Director of the Kano State Water Board, Alhaji Garba Bichi, said the current administration is committed to restoring the plant to operational status as part of a broader push to strengthen public utilities.
“This isn’t just about reviving old infrastructure; it’s about reclaiming lost capacity to meet the urgent needs of our growing population,” Bichi stated.
The reactivation of the Challawa plant is expected to complement existing water sources and help alleviate persistent shortages in Kano’s urban areas.
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He explained that due to the neglect, hoodlums had vandalised and looted the plants’ installations including pipes, raw water pumps and electrical starters.
According to him, the development has caused a shortfall in water supply in many parts of Kano city.
Throwing more light on the situation, the state’s Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Haruna Doguwa, said it would cost the government 3.5 million dollars to reactivate the Challawa Water Treatment Plant.
Doguwa said the government had placed orders for equipment to be used for the reactivation of the water treatment plant.
The commissioner, who also undertook a tour of the two Gwauron Dutse water tanks, condemned the looting of equipment at the facilities.
According to him, vital equipment like valves, pipes and ventilators were vandalised and stolen by thieves at the tanks which were mounted on the top of Gwauron Dutse Hill.
He said the situation had contributed to water supply challenges faced in parts of the state capital, adding that efforts were being made to replace the stolen equipment.
