By Samuel Akumatey
Ho, Jan. 11, GNA – Life in the Volta Regional Capital of Ho, is becoming increasingly inconvenient as an acute water shortage drags on.
What was announced to be a brief maintenance work at the Kpeve water head, has lasted more than two weeks, and residents of the fast growing metropolis with a population of close to 300,000, continue to suffer constraint.
A Ghana News Agency rounds found large crowds gathering at boreholes, cisterns and other alternative sources to catch water, as sanitation in the city had been adversely affected.
The Ghana Water Company Limited announced last week that pumping had resumed, but just days later, the pump equipment broke down again, cutting supply.
A media release by the Company said a pump shaft at the Kpeve Headworks broke down during operation, and that the Ho township and its surrounding communities would be affected.
Only a fraction of the Metropolis had supply during the brief period of flow before the pump went down again, meaning, many homes would remain dry.
The Teaching Hospital, Tertiary Institutions and businesses that rely on the resource are devastated by the situation.
Although the media release said the emergency response team of the Company was working round the clock to repair the equipment, such works could take weeks.
The situation is generating some public outcry, and many are criticising stakeholders in the region for failing to prioritise water supply expansion in the capital.
Regional advocacy group, the Volta Development Forum (VDF), in October last year, attempted to draw stakeholder attention to the situation.
Mr. Daniel Agboka Dzegede, Executive Director of the Forum, at a press conference spoke of the cost of purchasing water from alternative sources.
He also mentioned the health implications of the shortage, saying that stakeholders must as a matter of urgency address issues of pump capacity and others inhibiting the constant supply of the life liquid.
“Truth be told, water shortage at Ho is having a serious toll on residents. From our independent checks, some residents are now being compelled by the troubling water crisis to use unclean water from other sources with its attendant health challenges. In fact, the unavailability of water has brought untold financial burden on residents since some residents have no option than to pay for tanker water supply services.
“The water scarcity at Ho also poses a serious threat to socio-economic livelihood of the people. Indeed, this water crisis is making life very unbearable for all, and this raises the question about the responsibility of Ghana Water Company to residents of Ho and Volta as a whole?
“In light of the above, the Volta Development Forum petitions as follows; that government takes serious interest in the water crisis including making the necessary investments to addressing the situation to ameliorate the sufferings of residents caused by the water crisis – that Ghana Water Company Limited takes urgent action to supply water to residents immediately. The continuous denial of water access is wicked and inhumane,” the Executive Director stated.
GNA