By Opesika Tetteh Puplampu, GNA
Ada, May 03, GNA – Residents of several island communities in the Ada area of the Greater Accra Region are facing acute water challenges following changes in the taste of the River Volta, which has become salty and unfit for drinking.
The situation, attributed to seawater intrusion from the nearby estuary, has affected communities including Azizakpe, Alorkpem and Aflive, where residents largely depend on the river for drinking and other domestic uses.
Mr Evans Lawer Adusu, the Assembly Member for the area, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that although such occurrences happen periodically, the current situation had persisted for nearly a week, worsening conditions for residents.
“This is not the first time, but it has lasted longer than usual. Life has become very difficult for the people because the main source of water is now unusable,” he said.
Mr Adusu explained that many households rely on the river not only for domestic chores but also as a primary source of drinking water, while others combine it with sachet water for daily use.
He stated that he had contacted stakeholders for assistance, leading to the donation of 350 bags of sachet water to the impacted communities.
Meanwhile, Mr Abraham Teye Korley, the Assembly Member for the Bedeku Electoral Area, donated sachet water to the communities, indicating that he was motivated by the need to support vulnerable communities beyond his jurisdiction.
”I believe that electoral boundaries should not limit development and well-being.” When one community is in distress, it affects all of us,” he told the GNA.
Despite the intervention, residents say the support was temporary and insufficient, as demand for potable water continues to rise.
Some residents who spoke to the GNA expressed gratitude for the assistance, but they appealed to government agencies, non-governmental organisations, and philanthropists to provide sustainable solutions to the water crisis.
They called for urgent measures, including the provision of potable water systems to safeguard their health and livelihoods while waiting for the river to return to normal.
The residents stated that development highlighted the growing vulnerability of coastal and estuarine communities to environmental changes, including saltwater intrusion, which poses a threat to freshwater resources.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo/Benajmin Mensah