Regional Report: Sang Community depends on unclean dam water for survival

Correspondence from Northern Region:

Residents of Sang, a community in the Mion constituency of the Northern Region, depend on unclean dam water to survive.

Sang is the district capital of the Mion district and has a population of about 15,000 and for the past years, has depended on the local dam water for living.

The dam, which is currently the only source of water for the residents looks milky, with animal excreta and deeply engulfed by filth.

Speaking to some residents who were at the dam side to fetch water for domestic use, they admitted that even though the water is unsafe for human consumption, they do not have other alternative sources of water in the community.

“We share this dam with animals; cattle, sheep, and donkeys, and whenever it rains, the rain washes the dirt from the community into the dam, making it unclean for human consumption," they lamented.

One of the residents, Madam Ayi, told GhanaWeb that

“this is the only source of water we have in this community which is not good for our consumption. We need boreholes in this community."

Madam Salmu, bemoaned the situation, adding that; “you can't drink this water, and even a glance at it will scare you off. When you cook food with it, you don't even feel safe eating it."

The Assembly member of the area, Hon. Yakubu Abubakari appealed to the government, NGOs, and philanthropists to come to the aid of the community.

He said providing the community with boreholes would be the best intervention.