The Kwara State Government has listed some conditions to allow fish farmers within the precincts of the Asa Dam to continue their operation with the Ministry of Water Resources lamenting the negative effects of their activities on public facilities and water supply to residents of Ilorin metropolis.
The government had in January complained that fish farmers around the Asa Dam were wreaking havoc on water equipment and thus making it difficult to pump treated water to Ilorin residents.
In a communiqué issued on Friday at the end of a stakeholders’ meeting, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Wahab Agbaje, said the fish farmers must immediately stop discharging their effluent into the dam.
It was observed that the effect of fish farming in Aliara, Egbejila, Pampo and other areas had reached an alarming state.
The communiqué stated, “The effect of effluent being discharged into the Asa Dam lake has great impacts on the water supply facilities in the Asa Dam waterworks, such as the GRP I beam that supports the lamina tube sand filtration media equipment, resulting in high wastage.
“The discharge of effluent into the dam increases the cost of treatment of water and reduces the quantity of treated water supply to the citizenry. This has to be addressed now.”
The commissioner directed that 250-metre minimum setback stated in the law should be maintained by fish farmers operating by the dam side.
The communiqué stated, “It has also been agreed that the government must now have the data of and certify all the fish farmers operating in the Asa Dam area, while a seminar will be organised for all of them on safety measures by the Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency.
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