A Ghana Water Company Limited tanker supplying water to residents of Fabi

4 Communities in Asokwa face water shortage- Road contractor destroys pipe line

Kwadwo Baffoe Donkor Jun - 19 - 2019 , 09:03

For over two months, residents of Fabi, Esreso, Chirapatre and Ramseyer, all in the Asokwa Municipality have been hit by water shortage due to damage caused to their lines by the contractor working on the Dompoase to Esreso portion of the Atonsu-Kuntenanse road.

The contractor, Kofi Job, failed to relocate the pipe lines before starting work on his portion of the road and in the process destroyed the lines, thus cutting off water supply to communities along those lines.

This has brought untold hardship to the residents who resort to all sorts of untreated water sources, including streams and hand-dug wells, to satisfy their water needs.

Those who can afford use the services of water tankers and bottled or sachet water.

The problem has become precarious with the onset of the rains and there is fear of a cholera outbreak as the sources of the water being consumed by the residents cannot be trusted.

Ghana Water Company Ltd

The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has been periodically supplying the residents with water by means of tanker services to alleviate their plight while waiting for the contractor to provide the funds for them to replace the lines and restore supply to the affected communities.

According to the GWCL, the company had submitted its estimates for the relocation of the lines to the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) for onward submission to the contractor.

So far, the company has supplied water worth over GH¢20,000 to the affected communities.

The Ashanti Regional Communications Manager of GWCL, Mr Sampson Amoah, told the Daily Graphic that the company had so far supplied seven tankers of water to the affected areas at great cost.

Kofi Job

When contacted, the personal assistant to the contractor, Mr Joseph Asante, admitted that the company should have provided funds for the relocation of the pipes and pleaded with the residents to bear with the contractor for a while.

He said all relocation of utility lines and compensation for the demolition of houses and buildings that would be affected by the road had been computed and submitted to the government for payment.

The company, he stated, was awaiting the release of funds to enable it to comply with its obligation to the people.

Meanwhile, he said because of the rains, the company had suspended works on the road but would resume early next month.