Opinion leaders and the entire people of Dekpo-Horme in the Keta-North Municipality continue to struggle in-search of potable water over the years.
The community depends on a dam constructed since 1982 by the then Jerry John Rawlings-led PNDC government for irrigation purposes.
Residents of the community unfortunately share in drinking the dam water with such domestic animals as cows, goats and sheep. This dam water has been contaminated not only as a result of sharing the water with animals but also defecate, urinate and bath in it.
The people of Dekpo-Horme are predominantly farmers and petty traders and also engage in fishing activities in the dam. The dam is the community’s only source of water they use for cooking, washing and bathing but interestingly the dam is heavily polluted, particularly during rainy season that all manner of contaminants including debris and both human and animals excreter are washed into the dam. In spite of these nativities, the people have no choice but to rely on the only available water to them.
Following such unacceptable situation the people are bedeviled with, a philanthropist who want to remain anonymous provided a mechanized borehole for them. However, the borehole has broken down after a few years.
The over 12,000 residents of Dekpo-Horme for the past 1 and half decades depended on the dam which has been contaminated due to the continuous bathing and defecation in the dam coupled with constant drinking of the water by domestic animals has been the major challenge confronting them. This negative development exposes the people to waterborne diseases. Thus, they are calling for quick intervention to avoid any outbreak.
Some of the women in the community who are constantly found fetching the dam water shared their frustration with 3news, they are Alice Ahiable, Joice Awuma and Benedicta Damawu.
“The dam water we share with domestic animals has been contaminated since the animals get into the dam to drink as they drink they also defecate and urinate in the dam. The people also bath and urinate in the dam thereby making the water look yellow and brown in colour which we have no option as the dam is our only source of water for cooking, washing and drinking,” one of them said.
Makafui Mensa is the community’s Development Chairman; he appealed to government, philanthropists and churches to help make judicious use of the dam water.
“Currently, the usage of the dam water is a threat rather than a blessing since all manner of debris are found in the water coupled with human and animals excreter,” he said.
By Robert Abilba