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0 The perennial water crisis in the Greater Tamale metropolis is compelling residents to buy and drink from unwholesome sources which predisposes them to some diseases like typhoid and other waterborne illnesses.
For decades, the Tamale metropolis, Sagnarigu and other communities within the Tamale enclave, have witnessed severe water crisis.
The estimated average water consumption in Tamale currently stands at 140, 000 cubic meters a day.
However, the Ghana Water Company only supplies 30, 000 cubic meters which is woefully inadequate to meet the demand of the residents.
A situation which has been widely blamed on increasing population and lack of investment by the Ghana Water Company Limited.
This has compelled residents to rely on tricycle and water tankers for water usually drawn from dams and other unwholesome sources.
Hamdia Abdul Khalid and Uswatu Asana Mustapha are residents of Gbanyamli and Choggu in the Tamale metropolis
“The situation is severe in the dry season. For the past four months we haven’t had water flowing through our taps at Gbanyamli and so we rely on tricycle operators who fetch from a nearby dam and sell to us for 3 cedis per a jerrycan “ Hamdia bemoaned.
“I have a large family and buy water every day. Sometimes you won’t even get to buy so I have to buy sachet water to bath” Uswatu lamented.
Health implications
Speaking at the 2024 Annual Health Review of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, CEO of the hospital, Dr. Adam Atiku, bemoaned the surge in typhoid cases reported at the facility
He also indicated that the hospital is faced with acute water shortage which affects hospital operations.
“One critical challenge of the hospital is acute water shortage which affects our operations. Most of the patients who also report to our facility are diagnosed of typhoid and other waterborne diseases. This needs immediate intervention,” he said.
Regional situation
In 2024, Residents in a bid to register their displeasure on the water situation organized a demonstration against the water distribution company.
Northern Regional Distribution Manager of Ghana Water Company Limited, Alhaji Alhassan Baba Abubakar Sadiqque says, the company is facing a difficult situation of overaged water infrastructure and incessant power outages
“Our machines are overaged. The latest machine we have was installed in 2016 and the remaining two machines have been running since 1972. There is more pressure on the machines so they always break down,” he said.
He appealed to the people of Tamale to bear with them as Management works to improve upon the situation.
“The population of Tamale is now over 1, 300,000 yet our daily production is lower than 35,000 cubic metres a day instead of producing 140,000 cubic metres a day. We appeal to them to bear with us as we work to improve the situation “
Data
Findings from the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) indicate that one in every five (19.1%) persons in Ghana did not have enough drinking water.
The Northern Region recorded the highest percentage as one in every three (32.1%) persons did not have adequate drinking water.
The post Tamale water crisis: Residents resort to unwholesome sources; typhoid cases on the rise first appeared on 3News.
