Water tanker services for Nsawam-Adoagyiri following acute water shortage
The Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing has deployed water tanker services to residents and schools in the Nsawam-Adoagyiri Municipality to mitigate the impact of the acute water shortage that has hit the area.
An excavator has also been deployed to dredge the Densu River to allow the up-flow of underground fresh water to enhance the water level at the Nsawam Water Treatment Plant.
The deployment of water tanker services is being executed by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the National Security Secretariat.
Situation
During a visit to the treatment plant on Wednesday by a team from the sector ministry and the GWCL, led by the Deputy Minister in charge of water at the Ministry, Samuel Adusei, the Daily Graphic observed that the Densu River was virtually dried up.
The river, which is the major source of fresh water for the 2.5- million gallon capacity treatment plant, is filled with silt to the extent that the team could walk on dry ground in the riverbed.
It was also observed that the river, with a maximum capacity of 17 metres, has gone below its minimum level of two metres.
The intake pipe which is normally buried in the river to feed the plant with fresh water, is currently hanging about five metres above the current water level.
Measures
Briefing the media after the tour, Mr Adusei said about 500 million gallons of fresh riverwater reservoir would be built to ensure the availability of fresh water at all times to keep the treatment plant functioning in the event of a similar occurance.
He attributed the current situation to factors such as the severity of the recent harmattan weather, climate change as well as human activities along the banks of the river.
“The ministry, in collaboration with our stakeholders, assures all affected communities that we would work relentlessly together to ensure that the situation is returned to normalcy,” he said.
The minister added that as part of long-term measures, the Ministry was collaborating with the Water Resources Commission and the National Security to stop human activities along water resources.
Background
An acute water shortage has hit the Nsawam-Adoagyiri Municipality and surrounding communities forcing some of the residents to resort to fetching water from the banks of the Densu River for domestic use.
The situation has been attributed to the lack of water at the treatment plant to serve the communities.
The desiccation of the River Densu, the main source of water for the Nsawam water plant, has been attributed to the harmattan and other human activities such as illegal mining and farming.
Writer’s email:
