Ada Totope residents appeal to gov't for potable water

Residents of Ada Totope in the Greater Accra Region are appealing to government for an immediate intervention to deal with the absence of potable water in the area.

Though sandwiched between the sea and the Songhor Lagoon, there is no clean water for drinking and cooking.

The community with a population of more than 3000 persons has two standpipes, both of which water hardly flows through.

This has forced residents to purchase clean water at exorbitant costs which they say is leaving them with no money to educate their children.

Joy News’ Joseph Opoku Gakpo who visited the community reports the residents rely on water from more than 10 kilometers away to survive. Large tanker drivers bring in clean water to sell to residents at high costs.

“Water flows once every two months for two to three hours then it stops. So people rely on tanker owners for water at a cost of 60 cedis per tanker…” a resident Margaret Agbakla told Joy news.

“The water has stopped flowing for three months now. Because of that, I buy one tank of water for 70 cedis. It is affecting me economically and I don’t even have money to buy food and pay for the children’s fees,” another resident Gladys Torgbodzo told Joy news.

For the fishmongers here, the problem is draining away their profits.

“When I spend Gh¢10 to buy water, I use all on the spot and I need to go and buy again…I am pleading with government to come to our aid,” Yehowa Agor, a fish monger said.

Assembly member for Ada Totope Theophilus Agbakla says efforts to get the Ghana Water Company fix the problem with the infrequent flow of the pipes has proved futile. He wants government to construct a de-salination plant to treat the seawater for drinking.

“For the sea, the water is always there. So when government fixes a desalination plant here, there will be no problem,” he said.

Water Company officials in the Ada say they are working on fixing the problem with the water flow.

Below is a video report from the community

Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline.com |Joseph Opoku Gakpo |Joy News