By Solomon Gumah, GNA
Tamale, Oct 21, GNA – Activista Ghana, a youth-led social movement, has called for the rehabilitation of the Nyohani Dam in the Tamale Metropolis to improve access to water and support the livelihoods of residents.
Mr Hamdan Wumpeka Amadu, Regional Coordinator, Activista Ghana, who made the call, said the dam, which previously served as an important water source for the community, was no longer functioning effectively despite its potential to support domestic activities, livestock production and dry-season farming.
He said the situation was particularly concerning at a time when water scarcity was affecting communities in Tamale making the rehabilitation of existing water resources increasingly important.
He made the call during a community clean-up exercise at the dam, organised by the Northern Regional Chapter of Activista Ghana in collaboration with other youth groups and community members to draw attention to its deteriorating condition and the need for urgent intervention.
The exercise was funded by ActionAid Ghana and supported by the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly and other youth groups including Ghana Offline Community, Young Urban Women Movement, Young Female Platform, Youth Action Movement, REEP Ghana, She Leads Movement, Northern Regional Youth Network, Northern Regional Youth Parliament and the Centre for Active Citizenship.
Mr Amadu said Activista Ghana would prepare a report containing observations and recommendations from the exercise and submit it to the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, ActionAid Ghana and other relevant institutions to seek support for the restoration of the dam.
Mr Amadu said the rehabilitation of the dam could help improve water access and create opportunities for residents to engage in productive economic activities.
He proposed that the authorities and development partners explore the possibility of constructing a mechanised borehole and connecting it to the existing water points to provide residents with safer drinking water while supporting the dam’s restoration.
Mr Yakubu Hamza, Assembly Member, Nyohini South Electoral Area commended Activista Ghana and partners for organising the clean-up exercise and called for greater community participation in maintaining the environment.
He said the initiative served as a reminder to residents of their responsibility to keep their surroundings clean and protect communal resources.
Mr Hamza said the community had repeatedly appealed for the dam to be desilted but had yet to see the desired intervention despite raising the matter at meetings of the Metropolitan Assembly.
He, however, stressed that any rehabilitation programme should go beyond desilting to include appropriate safety measures given the dam’s location within the community.
He said children playing around the water body could be exposed to the risk of drowning, adding the desilting exercise should therefore be accompanied by measures to safeguard residents.
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh/Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Solomon Gumah
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