Power Outage: Lamentations As Price Of Sachet Water Increases

Water sellers and sachet water distributors throughout Taraba State are experiencing a surge in business due to the ongoing power outage that has affected the state for the past week.

For the past ten days, the state has been shrouded in darkness due to the reported vandalism of electricity cables belonging to the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC).

The circumstances have not only caused an increase in prices of essential goods but have also transformed the water business into a profitable endeavor throughout the state, thereby elevating water to an economic commodity.

As of the time of reporting, a sachet of water, previously priced at N20.00 due to the removal of fuel subsidy, is now being sold at N40.00.

Both the manufacturers and sellers attribute the increase to the power outage, which they claim has also impacted the pump price of fuel.

In filling stations throughout Taraba, a liter of fuel now retails for N820, whereas on the black market, it is being sold at N1000 and above per liter.

The ongoing situation, which has had a detrimental impact on the populace, has been exacerbated by water vendors who now sell a truckload of water containing ten gallons of twenty liters for N750 and above.

Some of the vendors interviewed by journalists attributed their significant price hike to the power outage, stating that it has made the piping of water from the source very difficult.

At the different sachet water factories throughout the state, the ongoing power outage has started to impact production, leading to a decrease in the daily output numbers.

Some of the manufacturers who spoke with newsmen said the situation, if not urgently addressed, will compelled them to trim down the numbers of their workers.

The manufacturers, who previously sold a pack of twenty sachets of water for N270, have increased the price to its current level of N300 due to the power outage.

With the recent rise in fuel prices in the state, where a liter is now being sold at N820, they stated that the likelihood of increasing the water prices from N300 to N350 is high.

Speaking with newsmen, a water vendor, identified himself as Usman Abba, said that it is not their wish to increase the price of water.