The Central Regional Minister, Ekow Panyin Okyere Eduamoah, has revealed that about 10 districts in the region are facing a critical water shortage following the closure of the Kwanyako Headworks by the Ghana Water Limited.
The shutdown was prompted by the malfunctioning of intake pumps in both treatment plants due to over-siltation clogging, an incident caused by illegal mining upstream of the river within the Eastern Region.
Addressing reporters after a meeting with the Parliament's Local Government and Rural Development Committee on September 16, the Minister suggested the impacted assemblies have been directed to reactivate abandoned boreholes as an alternative source of water for residents.
It is affecting over 10 constituencies. So, we are saying Gomoa East, Gomoa Central,Gomoa West, Agona East, Agona West, Ekumfi, part of Ekumfi and then even part of Accra becauseyou have Kasoa and Awutubreku. So, it's a huge issue," he lamented.
He said "I visited myself and I learned thatif it was by gunpoint at gunpoint to offer us water, you would not be certain ofthe water content that you'll be drinking at home. So, I requested them to quit."
Mr Eduamoah painted a bleak picture of the situation.
"Actually,the system itself could not accommodate the kind of raw material they needed because of the extent of the contamination. And so that is the situation when we went there. What we have done, which is a continuous process, is the fact that we had theMMDCEs immediately identify available boreholes, which had been abandoned because we had pipe-borne water.".
In fact, for Gomoa Central alone, we had about 16 of them. They were all operational, but because we had water, they have been abandoned. So we instructed them to open them again and those which were not operational had to be repaired," he stated.
The Minister continued in an attempt to ensure that work had not ceased, he went around with the DCE and the MP, "to see that the directives that I had issued were being, you know… And so, where we went, we saw the DCE and the team that were to work on it, and they were working. And so that is what supplies water."
"Boreholes are currently in use. There is also a tanker program. Tankers are being supplied to district assemblies and we told them to, you know, give communities," he replied.
Mr Eduamoah further said that "even where they ought to pay, it must be reasonable because there are those institutions like hotels and other facilities that might desire those services and that cannot actually go for free. But for the city, for the community members, I request that if even they are made to pay, it must not be something that will be unbearable."
