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Tamale communities hit by acute water shortage

An acute water shortage has hit more than five communities in the Tamale metropolis of the Northern Region as residents queue to buy water from the water tankers at a high price.

Date Created : 4/26/2024 12:00:00 AM : Story Author : Yahaya Nuhu Nadaa/ Ghanadistricts.com

Some of the affected communities are Vittim, Kobilmahgu, Gbewaa Residential Area, Sanzi¬rigu, Wamale, Kalarigu and some part of Kukuo.The situation compelled them to wake up as early as 4:00 a.m. to wait for the water tanker to get water.

Residents of these communities in the metropolis are seen each day with yellow gallons on motorbikes, tricycles and bicycles searching for water from streams and dams as Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) taps remain dry.

Hajia Suraiya Abu Mohammed told Ghanaian Times in an interview that, they spent so much in buying the water. She said at first, they were buying a drum of water for GH¢10, but now it has been increased to GH¢ 20 and they were not even getting it to buy.

Hajia Mohammed added that a yellow gallon of water at first used to be GH¢2 but now it has shot up to GH¢ 4 and some Motor King riders even sell at GH¢5.“I can confidently say that close to six to seven months now, Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) taps are not flowing,” she stated.

She stated that, the situation had also put an extra financial burden on them which they sometimes also had to rely on unhygienic sources of water for consumption, and the preparation of their meals.

Hajia Mohammed added that they sometimes had to share water from nearby dams and streams with animals, exposing them to health risk.

The Ghanaian Times has observed that due to the unavailability of the water in homes, some government workers are compelled to use their official vehicles to carry water from long distances for their families.

A resident of Wamale, Afa Isahak Hamdaway Abdallah, also told the Ghanaian Times that every day he trekked for more than five hours to search for water.

“Every evening I have to go round to look for water for my wife to prepare meals for the family and reserve some for the kids for them to bath the next day for school,” he stated. He said they could not continue to be using their little resources for water as they were having other issues to take care of.

He, however, appealed to the management of the GWCL to listen to their plight and address their plight by providing them with water, if not all the time, but once in a week for them to know that they were part of the Tamale metropolis.

Nma Sana Abubakri, a native of Vittim, in an interview said they were suffering as mothers and called on the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Haruna Iddrisu to support them solve the water problems in the affected areas in his constituency.

Attempt to speak to the management of the GWCL proved futile at the time of filing this report. The Tamale Metropolis and Yendi Municipality have been experiencing perennial water crises for the past years.

It is recalled that the Managing Director of the company, Dr Clifford Braimah, and his team of engineers recently toured the region to ascertain the challenges in the production and distribution of water by the company.

As a stop-gap measure, he announced the drilling of mechanised boreholes to connect to the main system to provide steady water supply to the most-affected communities.