Jawani Community hit by water crisis
Residents of Jawani, a community in the newly created North East Region have been hit by water shortage, compelling them to resort to stream water for domestic use.
The only two boreholes constructed in the early 1990s and now serving about 3,156 people have broken down, compelling the people and animals to compete for water from a stream in a nearby community.
A visit to the community by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) shows that the stream water is reddish and milky and does not have any spot specifically reserved for the people to fetch water without stepping into it.
The GNA further observed that the stream is located at Teanoba, a neighbouring community where residents of Jawani, especially women and children travel to fetch the water on daily basis.
Mr Harunnah Maazaliah, Assemblyman for the community, in an interview with the GNA, expressed worry at the unavailability of potable water in the community, and said it had adversely affected the community in several ways, making life there uncomfortable.
He said “apart from the distress we endure to get water from the stream, it is not readily safe for consumption as it is full of impurities which pose health risks to community members and made living conditions here uncomfortable and unwelcoming to workers posted to the community”.
He added that, efforts by the community to repair the boreholes proved unsuccessful and several attempts to get the district Assembly to solve the problem has proven futile.
Mr Maazaliah noted that, the water problem in the community compels government workers especially teachers, nurses and national service personnel to leave the community unceremoniously whenever they are posted there.
Namoorana Salifu Adam, Chief of the community confirmed the situation and said “we do not only lack water which is fundamental but anything in this 21st century that makes life comfortable is not here”.
He added that, rearing of animals and farming which are the major economic activities is gradually fizzling out as most of the youth migrate to cities and urban centres in search of greener postures.
The Chief of the community appealed to Government, non- Governmental Organizations and other stakeholders to come to the aid of the community to help repair the boreholes or construct new ones to release his subjects from the distress.
A survey conducted by students of the University for Development Studies (UDS) in 2018 showed that, Jawani is an extremely poor community with a population of 3,156, a literacy rate of 22.6 per cent and about 90. 4 per cent are engaged in subsistence farming.
Source: GNA