Address Ho water supply problem to save industry - Volta Devt Forum to govt

A PRO-DEVELOPMENT group, the Volta Development Forum (VDF), has expressed misgivings over the erratic water supply pattern in the Ho Municipality, saying it is a crisis undermining the area’s development.

“The problem has persisted for some time now, but the Ghana Water Company Limited is taking no serious steps to address the issue,” the

Executive Director of the forum, Dan Agboka-Dzegede, said.

Addressing a press conference in Ho last Tuesday, he said many residents were now forced to use unclean water from other sources for domestic use, as they did not have access to potable water.

Further, Mr Agboka-Dzegede said, the situation had brought untold financial hardship to the people, as they were compelled to buy clean water.

He said checks by the VDF had revealed that there was only one pump at the Kpeve Water Station, which often broke down.

“The water scarcity poses a serious threat to the health of the people and socio-economic development and the growth of industry in the municipality,” Mr Agboka-Dzegede added.

Appeal

The Executive Director of the VDF, therefore, appealed to the government to respond to the problem immediately and make the necessary infrastructural investment to rectify the unpleasant situation to bring relief to the people.

He pointed out investors would not be encouraged to establish businesses in the municipality due to the absence of clean water.

Existing businesses may also fold up as a result of the situation, Mr Agboka-Dzegede said.

“The earlier a lasting solution is found to the problem, the better,” Mr Agboka-Dzegede maintained.

When contacted, a senior official of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), who spoke to the Daily Graphic on condition of anonymity, explained that the Ho municipality’s population was swelling rapidly and exceeding water supply.

As a result, the spokesperson said water was being rationed to consumers in the interim, while a permanent solution was being sought to the problem.

“For now, let us store water and use it wisely,” the spokesperson added.

However, the spokesperson declined to comment on the issue of the defective pump at the Kpeve Water Station.