Residents of Teyoko appeal for potable water

Residents of Teyoko Community in the Bawku West District of Upper East Region have appealed for boreholes to ease the perennial water crisis in the area.

In an interview with Ghana News Agency at Ateyoko, after several complaints of water problems by the residents, Mr Rafiu Ibrahim, a teacher in the community said the area depended largely on a well, which often got polluted in the rainy season, thereby posing a threat of water-borne diseases.

Mr Ibrahim said the harmattan season was no better as the well dries up intermittently making residents struggle in their quest to get water for household activities.

"During the dry season, people sometimes wake up around 2 am to go to the well to fetch water. If you don't do that, by the time day breaks you won't get water anywhere unless you walk several miles to the nearby community."

"There is only one borehole here but since they drilled it water has never flown from that place to date, I don't know what is happening," he added.

Mr Ibrahim said the situation was making women waste so much time searching for good water for household use.

Madam Lydia Anugbilla, a trader, was hopeful that their appeal would yield good results otherwise they would continue to suffer water shortage all the time.

She recounted when she always had to forfeit her sleep to ensure that there was enough water to keep her house running.

Mr Kudugu Atiah, the Assemblymember for the area said several requests to the Assembly and non-governmental organizations had not yielded any positive results.

He said attempts to get the existing borehole repaired for water to flow also proved futile as assessments revealed that the place was rocky and could not produce any water.

Madam Victoria Ayamba, the Bawku West District Chief Executive, who confirmed her awareness of the lack of potable water in several communities including Teyoko, stated that the Assembly was putting in measures to provide water for those communities.

Madam Ayamba said she did not know of the breakdown of the only existing borehole in the area and urged committees in-charge of community water to report such cases to the Assembly.