Severe water shortage imminent in Ashanti Region

The Ashanti Region is reported to be edging towards severe water crisis as illegal human activities right inside buffer zones for rivers and streams running across the region, intensify.

Mr. Samuel Afari Dartey, the Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission (FC), said the unrestrained farming and logging needed to stop to avert imminent danger.

He described as deeply disheartening the present state of the Offin River – exacerbated by the growing destruction of the Offin Headwater Forest Reserve at the Mampong Scarp.

The river flows into the Barekese Dam, which has been supplying treated water to Kumasi and some outlying districts.

He sounded the alarm bell at a durbar held inAgona, the Sekyere South District capital, to climax the fifth national forestry week celebration.

“Forest and water for sustaining lives and livelihood”, was the theme chosen for the event.

The day is meant to create awareness about the importance of the forest and trees outside it and to aid the people to appreciate the link between the forest, water resources, human lives and livelihood.
Mr. Dartey made reference to water shortages experienced in many parts of the country, this year, and said that happened because most of the rivers had dried up due to human activities.

Restoring the degraded forests was an urgent priority and must become a collective responsibility, he added.

He called for all Ghanaians to actively engage in tree planting trees to preserve the environment.

Mr. Andy Osei Okrah, the Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, said the depletion of the forest was affecting food production and reminded everybody that the destruction of the forest and water sources was a threat to their livelihood.

He asked the FC to rigidly enforce its forest laws and also galvanize the energies and resourcefulness of the youth to rejuvenate the forests through afforestation schemes.

Source: GNA