Residents of Mepe-Adexorkpodzi, Adidokpoe, Zortikpor, Manase, Adexor, Adidovenu, Dugblekope, Teflekope, Amukope, Takukope, Katanyikpoe, and Dudevi in the North District of the Volta Region are facing a water crisis, forcing them to rely on contaminated sources, including stagnant water, that are also used by animals.
In this regard, the residents from the twelve (12) affected farming communities under the Mepe Traditional Area have appealed to the government and benevolent organisations to provide them with potable drinking water.
According to the visibly worried residents, lack of access to potable water has become a significant challenge, forcing them to compete with animals to access water which poses serious health risks in the community. They lamented that the alarming situation has also disrupted education activities of children of school-going age in these communities since pupils miss classes as they trek long distances to fetch water.
The twelve communities, which rely heavily on agriculture and animal rearing, are struggling to access clean drinking water, forcing residents to abandon their economic activities and trek for two hours daily in search of water for domestic purposes. Residents engage in a daily battle with animals to access a contaminated water source, highlighting the dire need for clean drinking water.
These communities’ only source of water is a dam where humans and animals compete for access, risking the spread of waterborne diseases. During a visit of the Ghanaian RADAR to the dam situated at Mepe Adexorkpodzi, it was observed that residents and animals were struggling for water for their domestic purposes.
It was discovered that there was non-functioning of the pipe water from Mafi-Adidome Water Supply which is being managed by Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA). This water supply system, along with others in the region, was taken over by CWSA in June 2018 as part of a policy reform.
The closure of the Mafi-Adidome Water Supply has forced the residents in Mepe-Adexorkpodzi, Adidokpoe, Zortikpor, Manase, Adexor, Adidovenu, Dugblekope, Teflekope, Amukope, Takukope, Katanyikpoe, and Dudevi to rely on the polluted water from the Adexorkpodzi dam dug for cow to use for domestic purposes.
In an interview with a resident at Mepe-Adexorkpodzi, Mr. Maxwell Tsinasi lamented the lack of potable drinking water in the community, saying that battling with the animals had dire consequences on their health and livelihood. According to him, the situation had been exacerbated by the lack of an alternative source of water, exposing them to health risks and hurting their livelihood.
“We are forced to share this unwholesome water with animals, this is unacceptable so we are pleading with everybody to help us with boreholes, or even pipe-borne water. We, the people in Mepe-Adexorkpodzi had mobilized some funds to start the construction of a dam for the community but we were short of funds to continue the project. We are looking for financial support of GH¢20,000.00 from the government, individual philanthropists, and other donors to help us to slope the dam with dozers,” Mr. Tsinasi appealed.
He lamented that the distance to access water in the community was not helping them to do their household chores, saying that residents became tired after fetching water from the dam.
All efforts to reach the District Chief Executive for North Tongu District and Member of Parliament for the area, Honourable Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, to ascertain what had been done about the issue proved futile.
