Residents of Sekondi-Takoradi, who have been hit with water shortage since December last year, say they do not see the essence of this year’s World Water Day celebration, when access to water has become a perennial challenge.
Consequently, they rubbished the event, saying they won’t be part of it or support the celebration.
The angry residents claimed the Day is a mockery of water situation in the oil city, and wondered why they should be disturbed with it. It is as result of this that they urged workers and management of Ghana Water Company, who were ‘making so much noise’ about the celebration, to ‘shut up and bow their heads in shame’.
According to them, the water situation in Sekondi -Takoradi is a shame, and deserves no celebration. Some of the residents who spoke to the Daily Statesman said their taps stopped running in December last year, and had to always roam in town looking for water from wells.
Claims
They said most of these water sources are also not free. Others said they cannot waste precious time searching for water, and have therefore contracted borehole drillers to drill one for them at exorbitant prices.
Reports indicate that a borehole, which was dug for GHC12, 000 last year, now costs between GHC14,000 and GHC15, 000.
“What even annoys us the more is that although the taps are not flowing, bills are sent us at the end of every month,” one resident said.
In a local radio interview, Nana Yaw Barimah Bannie, the Western Regional Public Relations Manager of Ghana Water Company, admitted the company’s inability to produce maximum quantity of water for consumers in Sekondi-Takoradi and its environs.
Attributing the situation to a number of factors, such as dry season and activities of galamsey operators, Nana Yaw Bannie said measures were being put in place to rectify the situation.
He revealed plans by government to construct additional plant at Daboase, in the Wassa East district, to produce 22million more gallons of water a day. He assured all residents in Sekondi-Takoradi, and even beyond, that water shortage would be a thing of the past after completion of this plant.
Touching on the theme for this year’s World Water Day, which is “Ground Water-making the invisible, visible”, he reminded the people that ground water is not unlimited. He therefore stressed the need to avoid certain practices which impact negatively on fresh ground water. These, he said, include using agro chemicals near rivers and other water bodies and building on muddy lands or waterways.
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