Yendi jubilates as water tankers arrive

There was jubilation in Yendi municipality yesterday when eight water tankers arrived in the town to distribute water to residents.

This consignment which is meant to ameliorate the suffering of the people of the town was organised by the Northern regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, in conjunction with Ghana Water Company.

The Yendi municipality and its surrounding areas in the Northern region have for sometime been facing a severe water shortage as River Daka which is the only source of water supply has dried up.

As a result many women and children in the area queue for long hours before getting water from boreholes.

A visit to Yendi at the weekend revealed the water crisis was affecting economic activity of the residents as some food vendors and market women and men have abandoned their business activities to search for water daily.

In an interviewed with the Times, Amatu Abdul-Razak, a resident said that for about two days the family had not a drop of water to drink, cook or wash.

She said that she and her colleagues slept by boreholes at various locations for hours before drawing some water as most of the boreholes have dried up.

Amatu said sometimes residents have to travel to Ngani a distance of 20 kilometres to fetch water.

Amatu revealed that a sachet of water which sold at eighty pesewa is now two or three Ghana cedis.

Another resident, Sister Nafisa Sulemana, described the water shortage critical saying if nothing is done to address the situation it would compel people to flee the area.

Nafisa, therefore, appealed to the assembly and the government to save the situation by providing tankers to serve water to household.

In fact many pupils in the area have not set foot in the classroom as they join their parents in searching for water.

Information gathered revealed that even students who manage to attend school always get there very late.

It was also learnt that the water crisis is said to be hampering the smooth running of the Yendi Hospital as doctors cannot undertake surgical operations.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Yendi, Mohammed Habib Tijani, commenting earlier on the situation said the problem was beyond the capability of the assembly and has, therefore called for outside intervention.

He said the assembly has appealed to development partners and individuals for assistance by providing tankers to draw water from the Oti River in the Saboba District.

The Northern Regional Chief Manager of Ghana Water Company, Mr Samuel Mensah, who accompanied the minister to distribute the water pledged to source funds for the exercise.

He also hinted that the company will sent excavators to dredge the River Daka as a long term measure to solving the problem.

Source: The Ghanaian Times