Association demands regulation of borehole drilling nationwide

Association of Water Well Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners (AWDROP) has called for the regulation and standardisation of borehole drilling and water supply activities in the country, saying this would serve as a source of internally generated revenue for government at all levels.The National President, Michael Ale and National Secretary of the association, Yomi Adeyemi, said this in a statement issued at the end of its fifth annual general meeting in Abuja.The statement said collaboration between AWDROP, and other government water regulatory agencies would enhance water supply sustainability to the public.The association appealed to the Federal Government to make sure that locally fabricated rigs made in Nigeria are considered and given priority under the President Muhammadu Buhari -led federal government for water sustainability in the country.It said there is need for an upgrade in economic value chain that could lead to indigenously fabricated equipment and materials from the prospecting stage to completion stage in order to generate employment and alleviate poverty.The statement also said there is a need for immediate government financial intervention in the revitalisation of the moribund indigenous unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (UPVC) manufacturing company sectors along the value chain of the water supply industry.The statement said the association has resolved to profile all water well drilling rigs (borehole drilling rigs) operating in all states.It said this would enable it to have a baseline insight of probable causes and effect of drilling activities in Nigeria and to advise the appropriate arm of government after the exercise.The statement added that the association called for an immediate stoppage of all non-statutory collection of fees, (site fee, registration fee, and licensing fee) and other fees being collected from the general public or drilling rig operators.
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