Protection of our water bodies. Can we have some action now, please!

The water situation in the country is dire and could lead to some very serious crisis for us if action is not taken immediately to forestall any calamity.

Indeed, it is for this reason that the Daily Graphic has returned to this subject.

Water, they say, is life. Moreover, there is no substitute for water, which is why we are revisiting the issue of the destruction of our water sources by loggers, illegal miners and all manner of people who operate in the extractive industry.

The Densu River, which is the main source of water for the people of Koforidua and its environs, as well as people living in the eastern part of Accra, is now dead, and yet the nefarious activities of people still persist.

What is more frightening is that the destruction and pollution of our rivers is on the ascendancy, while the numerous task forces that have been formed to stop these destructive activities look on.

We shudder at the thought of what may happen if the rains fail us, since all our major rivers have either been polluted or dried up. Some of the headwaters of our rivers, as well as their tributaries, have been damaged, resulting in the drying up of the rivers downstream.

While the vegetation over and ecology that have served as nature’s protection for the rivers have been irreparably destroyed, what remains of the rivers has become heavily polluted and silted due to the activities of illegal mining, also referred to as ‘galamsey’.

Our nonchalant attitude towards the preservation of our water sources is a source of worry. We throw into our drains which are constructed to take run-off water any conceivable solid and liquid, including dirty industrial and motor oil which eventually leads to heavy pollution of our streams, lagoons and rivers.

The heavy pollution of what is left of our rivers has resulted in the very high cost of treating water for consumption. Even with that, most people in Accra and other cities in the country no longer drink water from their pipes and instead resort to sachet and bottled water, which is presumed cleaner.

Given the rate at which we are polluting our water, there may come a time when even the tap water we are refusing to drink will no more be available. The sight of community members carrying receptacles of all kinds, including ‘yellow gallons’, should be warning enough to us about what chaotic scenes await us if we do not jealously guard what is left of our water resources.

The Daily Graphic urges the government agencies tasked to protect and preserve our environment and water resources to liaise with city authorities and the security agencies to take a bold step to stop further destruction of our water bodies.

We should also be told what the government and the agencies given the mandate to preserve our water resources are doing to ensure we do not wait till it is too late to do anything about our water situation.

Also, the laws governing the protection of our environment must be made to work, so that anyone found doing acts inimical to the sustenance and preservation of our water resources is made to face the full rigours of the law.

We believe that if we adopt that approach, people will become more responsible when they are dealing with issues of the environment and our lives would be preserved.