Tema Newtown Assembly Members cry out for water

Assembly Members in Tema Newtown have appealed to the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) to ensure regular water supply to their communities.

"Parts of our communities for several months have not seen water passing through the taps."

The Assembly Members who got the opportunity to question GWCL on the issue said the last time the Company served them water was between six to eight months ago.

The Assembly members expressed the concern during the First Ordinary Meeting of the First Session of the Eighth Assembly of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) at Tema.

Mr Sumaila Agabby, Assemblyman for the Oklor-Kofi Electoral Area said places in the area had not seen water through their pipe for the past nine months a situation he described as worrying.

Mr Enoch Afutu Kotei, member for Homowo Electoral Area also complained that Bankuman and the northern part of Tema Newtown also lacked water and urged the GWCL to ensure that the people get their fair share of treated water to run through their taps.

Mr Felix Mensah Nii Anang-La, Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive and Mr Joseph Korto, Presiding Member corroborated the bad water situation in parts of Newtown.

Mr Anang-La said the Assembly had received complaints from the traditional leaders which had subsequently been channeled to the GWCL to no avail, indicating that residents relied on tankers for water supply.

“Water is already not flowing through the taps for months, and now you said you are going to close the taps so what are you going to shut down,” the MCE questioned GWCL officials who were at the meeting.

Responding to the issue, Alhaji Alhassan Baba, Acting GWCL Tema Regional Distribution Manager, attributed the problem to lot of demand than available water volumes adding that the lines laid in the 1950s was currently insufficient for the increasing population and industries.

Alhaji Baba noted that the three tanks at the Tema Booster Station provide water for a large area including; Tema, Kpone, Ningo-Prampram, Ashaiman, through to 37 military hospitals and parts of the Eastern Region.