Water, as everyone knows is an essential commodity, one of three human needs of mankind for his survival. However, the people of Nkurakan in the Yilo Krbo district of the Eastern region are living at the risk of water borne diseases as a result of the constant pollution of their main source of water known as the Yabotwe river.
This river which serves as a regular source of water for all domestic use unfortunately has become a dumping pool for garbage by the community, the same people it’s supposed to serve. Looking at the situation, it has become very difficult for residents to get good portable water to drink.
Typical of the abhorrent behavior of many people in this country, garbage, human excreta, urinal as well as other human wastes end up in this river, polluting it in the process. Ridiculous as it is, the same people turn round to fetch its contents for many uses including domestic and commercial purposes.
While they fall on it for their home use such as for bathing, cooking and washing, commercial chop bar operators among others equally fall on its polluted contents for their activities leaving consumers at the risk of infections and diseases such as cholera.
This pollution does not only affect the people of Nkurakan but also many other communities such as Akuapem North, Asaman and Adukrom.
Still at Nkurakan, a public toilet facility constructed by the assembly and built close to the river has added to the pollution of the river that runs near the Nkurakan market.
Close to the river and close the dump site runs a facility which blends tomatoes and onions. The water from this river is used for all the activities here.
Assembly woman for Nkurakan, Madam Evelyn Assenu, admitting the situation in an interview explained that the people did not pour out the refuse into the river on intention.
According to her, though there’s pipe borne water running through the Nkurakan township and its environs, it isn’t widespread throughout the community and thus forcing residents, especially the poor who cannot afford the exorbitant cost of buying the pipe borne water are forced to patronize the contents of the river.
She feared the outbreak of an epidemic in the area if the situation remained the same.
As part of steps to curb the situation, she advised that a zoomlion refuse container situated right on the banks of the river be emptied regularly to prevent the spillage of the refuse into the river if it spills over adding that this would discourage residents of the community from dumping their waste right into the river.
She said though the Environmental Protection Agency in the Yilo Krobo municipality was not aware, she would soon liaise with them to find a lasting solution to the problem.
source: ritefmonline.org
