Water crisis hit Yendi

The Yendi municipality in the Northern Region is facing a water crisis following the drying up of the River Daka, which is the source of treated water for residents.

The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has under the circumstances closed down its water treatment plant due to the low water level.

Even though there are mechanised boreholes in the municipality, these are few and do not meet the needs of the residents, a situation that is compelling them to buy water from private individuals at high prices. Some of them also resort to unsafe sources of water.

Water shortage in Yendi has been a perennial problem because of the erratic rainfall patterns in the Northern Region.

The Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) in the Northern Sector, Mr Nicholas Nii Abbey, told the Daily Graphic that the company had made provisions for a water tanker to supply treated water to the residents to meet the needs of the people in the municipality, though it was not enough, since demand would outweigh supply.

He said the GWCL relied on rainfall to enable it to produce enough water from the River Daka to meet the needs of residents.

According to him, connecting the water treatment plant to the River Oti is the surest way of curbing the perennial water crises in the municipality because the River Oti has enough water.

Human activities

Mr Abbey blamed the perennial drying up of the River Daka on human activities such as farming and cutting down of trees on the river banks for charcoal.

He said the traditional authorities had instituted a task force to help protect the water bodies in the area.

Desilting River Daka

The Yendi Water Treatment Plant has not seen any major expansion works since its inception in 1980 even though the population of Yendi continues to rise.

The authorities have over the years resorted to clearing silt from the river anytime it dried up and the municipality was plunged in a water crises.

Mr Abbey called on authorities of the Yendi Municipal Assembly to consider clearing silt from the river as a stop-gap measure to improve water content in order to help curb the current crisis.

He also appealed to the government to fulfil its promise to construct a GH¢30 million water treatment plant for the Yendi municipality as that would help ensure regular supply of water in the municipality.