Following a petition jointly submitted by two youth groups in the Krobo area, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has ordered the Ghana Water Limited (GWL) to furnish it with a time frame for the resolution of the water crisis in the Krobo area, over which residents have started agitating, within five days.

Acting on the petition by two youth groups, the Kloma Gbi and the Kloma Hengme, the regulatory body in a letter dated January 14, this year and signed by the Regional Manager, Kesewaa Apenteng-Addo, directed the GWL to indicate steps it had taken or would take to resolve the challenge.

The groups stated that the disruption in water supply, caused by the construction works on the Somanya-Odumase-Kpong road, had entered its sixth month, leading to significant inconvenience to residents of Sawer in the Yilo Krobo Municipality and Atua South, Kodjonya and Odumase South in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality.

A team from the commission is scheduled to visit the affected communities to assess the situation and also hold a community engagement. The meeting will enable the PURC to elicit further information regarding the water crisis.

Background

A fortnight ago, the two youth groups petitioned PURC to compel the GWL to restore the flow of potable water to communities in the Yilo Krobo Municipality and Odumase South in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality.

Ongoing construction works on the Somanya Odumase-Kpong road

Ongoing construction works on the Somanya Odumase-Kpong road

The communities have not had treated water for over six months following the destruction of some underground pipes due to ongoing construction works on the Somanya-Odumase-Kpong road which runs through the two municipalities.

The phenomenon has greatly incensed the people who say the GWL is indifferent to their plight.

The Director of Communications for Kloma Gbi, Henking A. Adjase-Kodjo, expressed satisfaction at the level of attention accorded the petition by the PURC.

He commended the Regional Manager, Ms Apenteng-Addo, and her team for the steps taken so far, expressing the hope that further actions would be taken to help address the issue in a matter of days.

The General Secretary of Kloma Hengme, Dr Eric Tamatey Lawer, also commended the PURC and entreated it to look into the general and persistent issue of inadequate supply of water to the area beyond the recent disruption that was caused by the road construction work.

“Equity in the distribution of water to the Krobo area and other towns is what we are asking for,” he added.