Barely four days after its commissioning, the overhead water tank at the Gwara Water Project in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State has collapsed, triggering outrage among residents and raising fresh concerns about project execution under the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).

The facility — launched by the Federal Ministry of Environment in partnership with HYPREP — was part of the ongoing Ogoni clean-up and community support programme, aimed at restoring potable water to communities devastated by decades of oil pollution and environmental neglect.

Eyewitnesses told reporters that the structure suddenly gave way, sending the metal frame and tank crashing to the ground. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.

“This was supposed to bring us relief after so many years of suffering without clean water. Now look at what has happened in less than a week,” a resident lamented, urging the government to hold those responsible to account.

Residents have demanded an immediate investigation into the collapse, alleging poor-quality materials and substandard engineering in the project’s execution.

They also called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration and HYPREP to ensure full accountability, review the standards applied in the project’s construction, and take urgent steps to rebuild the facility.

Community leaders fear that the incident could be symptomatic of wider lapses in recently inaugurated HYPREP projects across Ogoni land.

“If this can happen within days, then other projects might also be at risk,” another resident said.

The collapse marks a significant setback to HYPREP’s efforts to provide safe drinking water to Ogoni communities, which have endured years of contamination from oil spills and environmental degradation.

As of press time, neither HYPREP nor the Ministry of Environment had issued an official statement on the incident.