Water supply in the Ashanti region is under threat due to dwindling volumes of the Owabi River in the Atwima Nwabiagya district of the Ashanti region.
The Ghana water company fears the Ashanti region might soon lose the 2 million gallons of water produced daily from the river.
Commercial production of purified water from the Owabi River begun as far back as 1923 serving a considerable part of Kumasi for almost a decade.
The Dam which turns out to be the oldest water purification Dam in the region at the time stood at a depth of 23 feet of fresh water.
But the dam is at its dire straits with its water levels now at a frightening seven feet.
The project was at the heart of the traditional authority as all indigenous communities surrounding the lake were relocated far away on orders of the then Asantehene Nana Osei Agyeman Prempeh.
This was to provide a buffer of untouched vegetation to preserve the longevity of the Dam.
Ninety five years on, the Ghana Water Company produces 2 million gallons of water from the river daily to serve thousands of residents in Esaase, Akropong, Nyantrenase, Manhyia, Abuakwa, Tanoso, and Apatrapa, parts of Nkawie Bokankye, Bohyen, and Agogo.
Encroachment, destruction of the forest cover around the catchment area, estate development and sand winning has become the order of the day.
Just a few meters from this endangered Dam, estate developers are busy working in clear violation of the authorities of the Atwima Nwabiagya District assembly and traditional authorities.
Speaking to Ultimate News’ Ivan Heathcote – Fumador, the chief production manager of the Ghana Water Company Limited in the Ashanti Region Joseph Asumah painted a rather dire picture about the sustainability of the Owabi River.
He lamented, “What is happening now on the Owabi is dangerous. The depth of the dam used to be 22.5 feet. Now it has silted up to about 19 feet. We have only about six to seven feet of water left on the surface. So if we should be hit with a drought, we will be exposed.”
The traditional authorities are however parrying blame accusing unfaced individuals for selling those lands on their blind sight, a claim the community dwellers consider spurious.
The chief of Owabi Nana Yaw Tuffour gave the same excuse at a durbar held by GWCL at Owabi to mark this year’s international water day.
He told the gathering, “In about five years, we will not get water to drink if we don’t collectively protect the water. I see that everyone is blaming the chiefs. But I can absolve myself of blame. My chiefs and I have not sold any land around the catchment area for construction. People are working there without any authority.”
In a rather rare challenge on the power of their traditional authorities, some town folk who did not take it kindly questioned the traditional authorities in whose care the lands in their jurisdiction are vested.
A young man who stepped forward to pick up the microphone fumed, “It is sad that people have bought lands and built close to the Owabi River. I don’t think a complete stranger can come and acquire a land and start building without the authority of chiefs. It is just unthinkable that you the chiefs will sit idle and watch this go on. The chiefs should stand firm and pull down all such buildings like it happens elsewhere,”
“They are cutting down the trees and destroying the Owabi River. All the swampy areas are being filled by developers. The new jargon in Owabi is that a place is only marshy if a rich man has not bought it yet. You, our chiefs must take a serious stake in ensuring that the Owabi and all its tributaries are protected from running dry,” another resident lashed out.
As the custodians of the land continue to absolve themselves of blame and the district assembly remains unperturbed, the danger of losing the 2 million gallons of water generated from the dam everyday to serve millions of residents, is imminent.
By: Ghana/Ultimatefmonline.com/106.9FM/Ivan Heathcote-Fumador
The post A/R: Water supply under threat as GWCL Owabi Water Headworks dries up appeared first on Ultimate FM.
Water supply in the Ashanti region is under threat due to dwindling volumes of the Owabi River in the Atwima Nwabiagya district of the Ashanti region. The Ghana water company fears the Ashanti region might soon lose the 2 million gallons of water produced daily from the river. Commercial production of purified water from the […]
The post A/R: Water supply under threat as GWCL Owabi Water Headworks dries up appeared first on Ultimate FM.
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