THE CHIEFS and people of Bukrum; a farming community in the Yilo-Krobo Municipality of the Eastern region have made a passionate appeal to government, NGO's, and philantropic individuals to come to their aid to provide good drinking sources of water to the community.
They said the two streams which serve as their sources of drinking water are very unhygeniec, unsafe, contaminated and are contributing to a number of water-borne diseases in the village.
The appeal was made on Sunday, when the Kloma Hengme association visited the village as part of its rural support project, and in the company of the chiefs and other opinion leaders, toured their two sources of drinking water of the village.
Making the appeal through the association, the Chief ("Dadematse") of Blukum–Maumi, Dadematse Kofi Osanyogmor on behalf of all his six colleague chiefs, said apart from the fact that the water sources are always muddy and contaminated, the situation become worse in the dry season when the two streams that provide water to the communiy dry up.
He said when the two sources of drinking water dry up in that case, their situation become very pathetic and sorrowful. He also lamented that incessant appeals made to government to provide them with a safe drinking water fell on deaf ears.
"As you can see for yourselves, our two streams that supply us with water are too muddy and unsafe for drinking. Anytime we drink from them, we get stomach problems and fever, not forgetting the numerous eye problems we are having here. We always try to desilt them so we can always get water for our domestic chores. These two streams, because they are unable to flow easily have remained stagnant, and are always contaminated and are unhygenic. In the dry seasons, they both dry up and we have to climb up the mountains to search for water. We have been making several appeals to government to supply us with at least a well, but our appeals are not getting any attention from any one".
Statics
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 1.1 billion people rely on unsafe drinking water sources in developing countries, and that, the lowest drinking water coverage rates are in Sub-Saharan Africa (58 percent) Water-related health problems, according to the World Health Organization, kill more than 5 million people annually with infants the most affected.
In most cases, majority of the people living in the rural areas depend on sources which are contaminated and also susceptible to water-borne diseases.
There is the need to create the political will, patnerships and resources to manage water to help reduce to the barest minimum, water-borne diseases with the attendant consequences on socio-economic development.
The Krobo area is a "power house" for two water treatment plants– The Kpong and Bukunor Water Treatment Plants. However, water is a scarce commodity on Krobo soil. Even in the municipal capitals of Odumase, Somanya and Asesewa, water hardly flows in taps, sometimes continuosly for over 4 months.The water that are treated in Kpong and Bukunor are supplied to some parts of Accra, Koforidua, Nsawam and other areas.
Mr. Francis Nakotey, the Director of Operations of Kloma Hengme, who was also part of the tour to the two streams, said he backs the appeal made by the chiefs of Bukrum to be provided with a safe drinking water. He describes their two sources of drinking water as an "eye-sore" and "de-humanizing" and adds his voice to the appeals made by the chiefs.
"Frankly speaking, I felt so bad after seeing the kind of muddy water the people of Bukrum and its environs consume. Their two sources of drinking water is too dehumanizing and shameful. This is an eye-sore and something urgent needs to be done to save our people".
"I, on behalf of the Kloma Hengme association, is adding my voice to that of the chiefs to appeal to government, NGO's, agencies, and philanthropists to come to the aid of Bukrum to provide them with safe drinking water", he added.
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