Residents of Gbestile in the Kpone-Katamanso Municipality have staged a demonstration to protest a prolonged water shortage that has left the community without a reliable water supply for more than seven months.
The residents, led by Mr Eugene Sai Johnson, Chairman of the Gbestile Gravel Estates Residents Association, expressed frustration over what they described as the failure of authorities to address the crisis despite repeated appeals.
Mr Johnson said petitions had been submitted to the area Member of Parliament, the Municipal Chief Executive, and other relevant stakeholders, but the situation remained unresolved.
He noted that residents were becoming increasingly frustrated by the daily struggle to access potable water and called for urgent intervention to restore supply to the community.
“We are not going to do anything nasty, but the next demonstration will be wider and more serious than this one if the water is not restored within 72 hours,” he warned.
The protesters said the prolonged shortage had forced many households to depend on private water tanker services, with residents paying between GH¢150 and GH¢200 for approximately 1,000 litres of water.
They also expressed concern about the quality of alternative water sources being used, warning that the situation could heighten the risk of water-borne diseases such as cholera and dysentery.
Mr Johnson alleged that the community’s water supply might have been diverted and called on Ghana Water Limited and other relevant authorities to investigate the matter and restore supply immediately.
According to the residents, the water crisis is affecting thousands of people and disrupting household activities, education, and economic livelihoods within the community.
They appealed to the government and water sector authorities to provide both immediate relief and a long-term solution to the recurring water challenges facing the area.
The demonstrators, clad in red bands worn around their necks, heads, and arms, carried placards with inscriptions including: “Why has our water been diverted to superhuman beings?”, “Our kids are getting sick,” “What crime have we committed? Please stop punishing us for nothing,” “Our women and children are suffering,” and “1,000 litres for GH¢200 is not cheap for the ordinary Ghanaian,” among others.