Water shortage hits Apirede (pg 26)

APIREDE in the Akuapem North District in the Eastern Region has been hit by acute water shortage, compelling the chiefs and people to make an urgent appeal for government’s intervention.
The crisis is as a result of the drying up of two streams, on which the people rely for water.
The Chief of the Apirede, Nana Saforo Okoampah III, told the Daily Graphic at Apirede that the situation had become worse, because the taps which were installed during Acheampong era in the 1970s, flowed once every three months.
He stated that whenever the two streams in the community dried up, the people resorted to buying water from water tankers or vendors, and cited instances where the people spent GH¢45 on water.
Nana Okoampah said to resolve the problem, the Apirede Traditional Council engaged the services of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency to conduct feasibility studies in the area to see the viability in the construction of a mechanised borehole.
He said even though the result was positive, the cost of the project was beyond the traditional council’s financial ability.
The chief, therefore, appealed to the Government to help finance the project which was expected to cost more than GH¢7,500.
He said “the problem has a telling effect on the education of the children here as they spend a lot of time at the stream, especially during dry season”.
Nana Okoampah also called for the extension of the Youth in Agriculture Programme to the area, so that the vast tract of land lying fallow in the area could be put to good use, thereby creating employment opportunities for the unemployed youth in the community.
He also called for the reconstruction of the access road linking Apirede with Somanya.
When the Daily Graphic contacted the Member of Parliament (MP) for Okere, Mr Dan Botwe, he said there were plans to use part of his share of the MP’s Common Fund to address the problem.
He stated that tarring of the road linking the community with Somanya and the water problem was part of the questions he had tabled in Parliament for the sector ministers to answer.
When the concerns were put to the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area, Mr George Opare-Addo, he said the Government was aware that water remained a peculiar problem to the towns along the Akuapem Ridge.
On efforts to resolve the problem, he stated that Apirede was one of the towns that would benefit from the 10 boreholes that would be constructed before the end of the year.
He, however, refuted a claim that the community got access to potable water only once in three months.
“I know that on average, the tap flows once or twice a month these days,” he said.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Need an Auto Loan? Monday, April 2, 2012, pg 20

Spiritual healers, men of God take over billboards, Monday, September 17, 2012, pg 32