Puteh (Ada), Mar. 04, GNA – Residents of Puteh and Totope, fishing communities along the coasts of the Ada East District, have called for urgent intervention to address the water shortage crisis that is threatening their livelihoods.
The community members say they have been battling a severe water crisis, as their taps remained dry for most parts of the year except the rainy season.
The residents have therefore resorted to unconventional ways of sourcing water, including digging holes in the communities to collect water for their daily activities.
Puteh and Totope are the hardest-hit communities in the coastal area of the district, as residents struggle to access clean water for drinking, sanitation, and hygiene purposes.
The lack of potable water in the communities has compromised sanitation practices, exacerbating the recent cholera outbreak.
Mr. Prosper Puplampu, Assembly Member for the area, stated that the challenge has persisted for years despite numerous appeals to leaders and the district assembly.
Mr. Puplampu disclosed that he had to contract water tankers to supply the communities with water, incurring significant expenses of at least GHC 1,500.00 per tanker, even though the water supplied was directly drawn from the river Volta.
He further revealed that the Ada East District has provided the residents with Aquatabs, which they use to purify the water before use.
He stated that his funds had run dry due to weekly water purchases for the communities, adding that it was becoming difficult for him to sustain it, a situation that has dire consequences for residents.
The assembly member disclosed that all four communities in his electoral area, including Aminapa, Midie, Puteh, and Totope, have all been facing water challenges for decades now, with Totope being the most affected community.
“I engaged both the Ghana Water Company and District Sanitation and Water Agency, but they could not help us. They keep telling us that they have some challenges that they are yet to fix,” he lamented.
He appealed to the government, civil society organisations (CSOs), philanthropists, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and the public to urgently intervene for the community, stating that if the situation is not handled well, it could lead to another outbreak of cholera in the communities.
By Opesika Tetteh Puplampu, GNA.
