NESREA partners agencies to end illegal drilling

By Miriam Humbe

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) is set to partner with relevant organisations to stop illegal drilling in the country.

Director-General, Dr Ngeri Benebo, gave this assurance yesterday in Abuja during the inauguration of the Association of the Water Well Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners (AWDROP), Abuja Chapter, adding that NESREA is ready to partner with AWDROP in regulating the standardisation of water extraction in the country.

He further stressed that there will be no more hiding place for quacks.”NESREA must be informed of any drilling and at the completion; the drilling report must be sent to us.

“We will not condone any act of illegal drilling activity because it is unfriendly to the environment.

“It is a universal fact that water is life and at the same time it is the medium for people to get sick in this regard; all water facilities and infrastructure must be environment-friendly,” he said.

The director-general commended the association for bringing its members together to harmonise their professional talents for delivery of quality service and efficiency in the water business and assured

that the agency would fully enforce relevant laws to ensure decency and efficiency in water drilling business.

“NESREA will fully evoke the enforcement of its regulations on National Surface and Ground Water Regulation of 2009.’’

Responding, the National President of AWDROP, Mr. Michael Ale, said that the association was partnering with NESREA to eradicate quacks in the industry so as to avoid environmental hazards caused by unsafe water production across the country.

He advised the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to ‘’make sure that, no drilling project is awarded to briefcase contractors, but only accredited members of AWDROP are awarded borehole drilling projects at all levels.’’