Ghana Water Company disconnects five Senior High Schools in Krobo district

The quest to access potable water has compelled students of some Senior High Schools across the country to queue for long periods for water.

This situation is a result of a nationwide disconnection exercise undertaken by the Ghana Water Company Limited of the schools following their indebtedness to the service provider.

In the Krobo District of the Company which covers Asuogyaman, Yilo Krobo, and Lower Manya Krobo, six schools were affected by the exercise.

They include the Yilo Krobo SHS, Krobo Girls SHS, Anum Presby SHS, Anum Presby Vocational Institute, Boso Senior High Technical and the Akro Senior High Technical Schools.

However, Krobo Girls Senior High School has settled its bill of GHC590,000.

It was reported that students of Akro Senior High Technical School had to form long queues to draw water from the only borehole serving the school community.

The school is said to owe GWCL GHC700,000.

With the population of first and third-year students standing at almost 1,000, the students together with teaching and non-teaching staff only have the mechanized borehole with a poly tank to depend on for their drinking, cooking, cleaning, washing, and other activities.

The situation is no different at the Boso Senior High Technical School where the entire student community also depends solely on a mechanized borehole on campus.

The water situation in the schools is affecting academic and co-curricular activities as students spend long periods in search of water.

Some of the students complained that the lack of water on campus was adversely affecting their academic activities. The students aside from queuing for water for their needs are also mandated to fetch for their teachers and to the kitchen.

The compound prefect of the Akro Senior High Technical School, Awuah Eric Akwasi said the situation posed lot of difficulties to them.

"It got to a time when I think the machine tank in the water from underground got spoilt so we were facing a lot of problems, we need to wake up at dawn to come and join this long queue, sometimes we also fetch it to our teachers in their bungalows so by the time we get to our classrooms, we're tired, we can't even concentrate so we sleep in class", he lamented.

A final year female student also had similar complaints. According to her, she and other female students are particularly affected by the situation during their menstrual cycle.

She said, "The water problem in our school is affecting us negatively, at times even going to class is a problem. At times, we those who are in our menses, if there's a shortage of water, we suffer a lot".

Appealing for government immediate intervention, the final year students said the situation if not immediately addressed could have adverse effects on their preparations towards their WASSCE examination.

A teacher who spoke on condition of anonymity said teachers who reside on the school's campus were affected just as the students.

He said: "The teachers in residence, it's actually a problem because that is our source of water...so every member of the school community is affected".

According to the school's management, the attention of the Regional Directorate of Education has been drawn to the challenges but the problem has not been addressed.

The students and staff are appealing to the government and individuals to come to their aid to put an end to students’ struggle for water on campus.