Toto water plant, abandoned for 32 years, rehabilitated

The Nasarawa state office of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has rehabilitated the obsolete Toto water scheme at N300 million.

The facility was built 37 years ago by the then Governor of the old Plateau State, late Solomon Lar, but was maintained for only five years.

The rehabilitated water scheme was formally handed over to authorities of the Nasarawa state water board by the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura on SDGs, Dr. Salisu Raj, who performed the formal handover of the project at Toto, headquarters of Toto local government area of the state.

Raj said that over N300 million had been expended on the project which was conceived, constructed and completed by the administration of Solomon Lar in 1980, and put to use for a period of about five years before it went dormant.

“It had been dormant until the coming of the present administration of Governor Al-Makura who felt the need to give Toto people the much needed portable water and so directed the MDGs, as of then, to capture it in its work plan and today, we are seeing that fruit as directed by the governor,” he said, explaining that the project was capable of supplying 400 cubic litres of water to Toto town.

“When it was initially conceived, the water scheme was for 200 cubic litres, but we upgraded it to 400 cubic litres to take care of the growth in population of the town. So it is designed now in such a way that with the backup power plant and public power supply, Toto inhabitants can have a 24-hour water supply,” Raj added

In a response, General Manager of the state water board who spoke through his representative, Umar Agbo, said the board would ensure that the project handed over to it was used to the optimum level.