Sonsunaso is one of the deprived communities in the Ejisu-Juabeng municipality of the Ashanti region. Getting water for both drinking and domestic activities is a luxury for residents because of the scarce nature of the commodity.
The about 500 inhabitants in this community rely solely on farming as their means of livelihood. Residents here have over the years been yearning for only one thing; potable water. Their only source of water at the moment is from the Bankoro river.
They sometimes have to compete with animals to be able to access the ill-infected river. Kana Abako, a resident admitted that, they fall sick when they drink from this river but have no choice. Many of them including Kwaku Sarpong poured their frustration to the government for neglecting them.
He condemned politicians for using rural folks for political gains and sidelining them after getting their votes. "We are all Ghanaians and must be treated equally. The government needs to provide us with potable water".
Meanwhile, the Ejisu-Juabeng Municipal assembly has made attempts to provide the community with a borehole facility but the clayey nature of the area has made it difficult to get water. The borehole was commissioned in November 2014 but water has never been accessed from the facility.
The assemblyman for Abenase electoral area, Richmond Frimpong is worried with the water situation in Sonsuanso. He said several attempts to convince the assembly to bring the contractor back to site have been unsuccessful. But the Ejisu-Juabeng Municipal Chief Executive, Afrifa Yamoah Ponkoh in an interview with TV3 assured that, the contractor would be back on site by 1st March to fix the water problem in Sonsuanso.
The millennium development goal 7(c) targets half by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. But the current situation at Sonsuanso poses a major threat to the MDG goal seven, especially as the country strives to meet the set target.
Until an alternative source of water is provided for residents of Sonsuanso, they will continue to be drinking from the Bankoro river.
