'Unbearable hardship': Afenyo-Markin demands urgent fix to Winneba’s water crisis
The long-standing water crisis in the Effutu Municipality is worsening, with residents of Winneba, the municipal capital, trekking long distances in search of potable water.
In the past two weeks, the situation has deteriorated sharply, compelling the Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, to formally write to the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) to restore supply.
In his letter, sighted by Graphic Online, Mr Afenyo-Markin said: “As of today, I can confirm that majority of the communities within the Municipality still remain without the supply of potable pipe-borne water. This prolonged shutdown has created unbearable hardship for the population of over 140,000, and its effects are being felt across every sector of community life.”
The legislator warned that hospitals, clinics and health centres were struggling to maintain basic hygiene standards required for patient care, with the risk of outbreaks of cholera, dysentery and other waterborne diseases rising sharply.
“Schools and tertiary institutions are struggling to operate in the absence of safe water. Sanitation within educational facilities has broken down, with direct implications for the health and safety of pupils and students,” the letter stated.
According to him, families have been forced to depend on irregular and costly private water suppliers, with vulnerable groups, including children and the elderly, bearing the heaviest burden. Daily domestic routines have been disrupted, while small businesses, particularly food vendors, hospitality operators and artisans, have been unable to function, leading to income losses and a wider slowdown in local commerce.
“The absence of water supply has compounded sanitation challenges, heightened the risk of outbreaks of waterborne diseases, and is threatening the overall socio-economic well-being of the Municipality,” Mr Afenyo-Markin stressed.
He urged GWCL to “provide immediate clarification on the cause of this disruption and, more importantly, when residents should expect uninterrupted water supply to be fully restored.”
