Residents of the Ahenbronom Electoral Area in Tease, the District Capital of Kwahu Afram Plains South in Eastern Region are struggling to have access to safe drinking water following the breakdown of a mechanized borehole.
The situation has created water stress in the community forcing residents to depend on a seep well at the outskirt of the Ahenbronom electoral area.
The well, named “Tontomu” was constructed by a Catholic Missionary some twenty years ago but continues to be a source of water to inhabitants.
Due to the dry season, Water in the Well dries up quickly. Residents queue for several minutes and sometimes at dawn in their quest to have water for domestic chores and drinking.
“We are suffering from this water so they should come and give us borehole. We those living around Tease are suffering. We are begging the government to help us. This is the only water we have here. We use it for bathing, cooking and washing. We come from far places. During the dry season, we come here at dawn else you will not get water to fetch” –residents lamented.
Some students seen in the queue later left home with their gallons without a drop of water. “We didn’t get water so we are returning home with empty gallons sometimes when you come you don’t get water. We spent a lot of time searching for water which affects our school time”
The Assembly Member for Ahenbronomu Electoral Area, Moro Dwamena said the Population of the Community is growing hence requires more boreholes to meet the demand.
He said a mechanized borehole serving his electoral area has broken down for years. “We had a mechanized borehole but it has broken down.so all residents in my electoral fetch from Tontomu well. The water too is drying up because of the harmattan season my plea is that we need some NGOs and government to help us. This electoral area is where St.Fidelis SHS so most of the students live in homes around but struggle to get water” Provision of Water in Rural Areas Declining.
Water provision to rural communities in the Eastern region has over the years recorded a decline due to lack of funds for the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) to provide safe drinking water to rural dwellers despite growing population.
According to the CWSA, as of 2019, out of the total rural population of little over 2.5 million, only 1.4million have safe water in the Region. The rest of the 1.1million people depend on polluted water sources.
As of March 2019, there were 2,997 boreholes with hand pumps across the region, 1,142 hand-dug wells, 35 small town pipe systems, 6 limited pipe systems, and 15 water harvesting tanks.
However, many of these facilities are deteriorating whilst others have broken down completely due to a lack of maintenance.
Additionally, some of the boreholes are unable to pump the required amount of water to meet demand worsening water stress situations in the communities.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Obed Ansah
