Residents of Langtang South in Plateau State still dig holes in dry riverbeds to get water in 2026 despite N30 billion allocated for dam rehabilitation.
Women and children gather with buckets at the riverbeds in communities such as Mahanga.
They scoop murky water from shallow pits they create with their hands.
This happens months after Governor Caleb Mutfwang signed a ₦30 billion contract in March 2025 to rehabilitate the Langtang Dam.
The contract covers desilting of two dams in Langtang North, construction of structures to control erosion and silt, and other conservation work under a World Bank-supported project.
Officials said at the time that the work would take 30 months to complete and bring lasting relief to the southern zone.
Yet residents continue the same daily struggle. They walk to the sites and search for whatever water collects in the holes.
The practice has gone on for years in the dry season, but fresh photos from this week show it persists.
In March this year the governor presented new SUVs to first-class traditional rulers across Plateau State to mark his 61st birthday.
His office described the gifts as a personal gesture to strengthen traditional institutions.
A year has passed since the dam contract signing.
No visible change has reached many communities in Langtang South so far.
Residents say they still rely on these methods while they wait for the project to deliver results.
The state government has pointed to other efforts such as water tankers and boreholes in the past to ease shortages.
However the images from Langtang South have drawn fresh attention online and raised questions about the pace of the dam work.
Governor Mutfwang has not released a new update on the Langtang Dam project this month.
His team has not responded directly to the latest photos from the riverbeds.
Water scarcity remains a challenge in parts of Plateau State during the dry months.
Communities hope the ongoing rehabilitation will finally bring reliable supply once the timeline reaches its end.
