Price Of Sachet Water Soars In Uvwie

By Ambrose Ologide

The price of sachet water ( popularly known as pure water ) has soared in Uvwie and Warri South Local Government Areas.

A market survey indicated that the cost of a bag ( containing twenty sachets ) was sold for three hundred and fifty naira as against the price of two hundred and fifty naira sold last month at as the time of filing this report.

The increase in price was neatly displayed in stickers of association of producers of pure water in the two local government areas pasted on the most pick-up vans hawking bags of pure water.

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There was a warning in the stickers that read thus : ‘ Do not under sell to avoid taskforce wahala ‘

It would be recalled that before the increase in price of pure water, retailers embarked on a four day strike action.

A retailer who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity explained that the cost of the increase in price was due to high cost of production occasioned by the high cost in pump price of petro and incessant power outage.

Coincidentally there was a prolonged power outage of over one week in both local government areas at the time of filing this report.

Consumers of sachet water who spoke to our correspondent appealed to both the federal and state governments to ensure that pure water was made available to the masses at an affordable price.

Victor Kesiena , a lawyer stated that one of primary responsibilities of government is to provide food and shelter to the people and as such government should not close its eyes to the water crisis.

He stressed that provision of treated water will safe guard the health of the masses.
Kingsley Vevakpor , an electronic mechanic expressed fear that the increase in the price of pure water may lead to the consumption of untreated water and this will in turn lead to the outbreak of Waterborne diseases.

Lady Janet Okon a fashion designer spoke in the same vein as she expressed fears that the increase in the cost of production may lead to the production of impure water by some unscrupulous producers .
She then called on the health authorities to rise up to the situation by ensuring that pure water was safe for consumption by the masses on a regular basis .

A food vendor in one of the motor parks close to the Effurun Flyover who declined to disclose her identity disclosed that she stopped providing a sachet of pure water free of charge to her customers since the increase in price.

She stated that providing free sachet of pure water to her customers as she used to do, will have a toll on her business. ”

“Customers who want to drink pure water should pay thirty naira for one sachet,” she added.

However a resident of a street off Jakpa Road , Effurun an Okada rider who hails from the northern part of Nigeria, Salisu Ahmed said that he was prepared to drink water from any borehole or the well if he cannot afford to buy sachet water.