Minta Nyarku engages Fire Service to supply water to UCC halls amid shortage

The Member of Parliament for Cape Coast North, Dr Kwamena Minta Nyarku, has arranged for the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to supply potable water to all halls of residence at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in response to the worsening water shortage affecting students.

The intervention is intended to ease the difficulties facing students and prevent disruptions to the university's academic calendar as Cape Coast and neighbouring municipalities grapple with a persistent water crisis.

The situation has reportedly been aggravated by illegal mining activities along the River Pra, which have polluted raw water sources and increased turbidity levels to about 12,500 NTU, exceeding the 8,000 NTU treatment limit.

Dr Minta Nyarku, popularly known as Ragga, said the intervention followed a report from a member of his team about the shortage on the university campus.

“I received a call from ‘Landlord’, one of my team members, about the water shortage on the UCC campus,” he said.

He subsequently contacted the university's management and informed them of arrangements made with the GNFS to supply water to the various halls by filling their reservoirs.

“I spoke to the GNFS boss to provide water to all halls by filling the water reservoirs at the respective halls,” he said.

The MP said the initiative would be expanded beyond UCC to benefit second-cycle institutions, hospitals and Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds before being extended to other parts of the constituency.

As part of efforts to provide a more sustainable solution, his office also plans to drill boreholes at all halls of residence in tertiary institutions and senior high schools across the constituency.

“I plan to drill boreholes across all halls in the tertiary institutions and Senior High Schools in my constituency,” he announced.

Kwame Nkrumah Hall (KNH) is expected to be the first beneficiary of the water supply arrangement, with its management expressing appreciation for the MP's intervention.

Dr Minta Nyarku also thanked the university's management for working with his office to address the difficulties confronting students.

The severity of the shortage was highlighted by Dr Frank Kwekucher Ackah, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Crop Science, who disclosed that the Vice-Chancellor had informed the Dean of Students about students crossing the highway to fetch water from the Centre for National Culture (CNC).

Dr Ackah said he was subsequently asked by the Dean of Students to establish the accuracy of the report.

“I was called upon by the Dean of Students to ascertain the veracity of the information,” he recounted.

“It was a serious spectacle watching students cross the highway just to get water,” he stressed.

He said the shortage was a genuine concern that required the university to explore alternative ways of providing water, and welcomed the MP's intervention.

A representative of the Dean of Students' Office, who attended the engagement, also expressed appreciation to Dr Minta Nyarku for responding to the situation.

“The Dean of Students thanks you for thinking about us, and this adds to the many good things you are doing for the institution,” the representative said, while wishing the MP God's blessings.