Located along the Kumawu-Agogo main road in the Sekyere Kumawu District is the newly discovered Bahankra Waterfall.
The waterfall is situated in Bahankra, a settler community largely occupied by people of northern Ghana extraction, hence the name Bahankra Waterfalls.
It is about 8km from Kumawu, the district capital. It has a copy rock that provides cover for people who can hide under it while having a natural experience of the waterfalls.
Also, it has a number of smaller rocks around the pool where visitors can sit and relax while enjoying the cool atmosphere around the place.
It is believed that the four rivers that are interconnected and located within the area are the source of water for the waterfalls.
However, the community, with an estimated population of about 700, is not connected to the national grid and has no telecommunication network, making it very difficult for the residents to make calls, and it lacks a health facility as well.
Already, the district is blessed with other tourism potentials, including the Bomfobiri Wildlife Reserve, which can also boast of two waterfalls, three rivers, a stone bridge and lion rock, among others.
Discovery
The waterfall was discovered in 2005 by a hunter, Kwame Sawakin, during his usual hunting expedition.
Some revellers at the foot of the waterfall
He told the Daily Graphic in an interview that on that fateful day, while on his daily routine to hunt for animals, he heard the sound of the waterfall within the thick forest and decided to draw closer to see it and know more about it.
He said that due to the thickness of the forest, he was unable to get closer, which forced him to abandon his mission.
However, he returned the following day and managed to manoeuver his way through the forest and discovered that it was a waterfall.
“I was so surprised and excited to have discovered the waterfall in the thick forest,” he said.
He stated that subsequently, he informed the then officials of the district assembly about it, but they did not show any interest or commitment towards the development of the waterfall for the benefit of the people.
He said he subsequently sought an audience with the current District Chief Executive (DCE), Kwasi Amankwa, who showed interest and visited the waterfall, after which he pledged to seek support for its development.
DCE speaks
Speaking at the recent regional World Tourism Day celebration at the Bahankra Waterfalls, Mr Amankwa said the district assembly was committed to working closely with stakeholders to make the district a tourism hub.
“I call on investors, development partners and stakeholders to join us on this journey to harness our natural and cultural wealth, to make the district the pride of Ashanti and beacon of sustainable tourism in Ghana,” he said.
The Ashanti Regional Director, Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Frederick Adjei-Rudolph, charged the district assembly to take immediate steps to seek support towards the development of the waterfall to reap its full benefit.
He highlighted the construction of all critical facilities needed to make the site a tourism destination, stressing, “Once these interventions are done, they will enhance the development of the site.”
The Nseniehene, Nana Obeng Darko, said the area was blessed with many tourism potentials and what was required was a close collaboration between the government and the chiefs towards their full development.
Work to be done
A visit to the site showed that to develop the Bahankra Waterfall to the standard of other similar facilities to boost tourism in the area, the access road to the waterfall that links the main Kumawu-Agogo road needs to be re-engineered to make it easier for tourists to visit.
Also, there should be the construction of a receptive centre or facility with other ancillary facilities to receive revellers and other tourists.
Similarly, stairs with handrails must be provided to the waterfall to make it easier for visitors to visit the site.
Further, the pool area of the waterfall, which is about seven feet deep, should be dredged so that revellers can swim.
The Assembly Member for the Aninangya/Bahankra Electoral Area, Solomon Abuguri, in a chat, added his voice to the call for the waterfall to be developed, as it would fast-track the growth of the area.
Writer’s email: gilbert.agbey@graphic.com.gh
