Water shortage makes yuletide ‘bitter-sweet’ in Ho

An acute water shortage made this year’s yuletide a bitter-sweet one for residents of Ho, the Volta Regional capital.

The taps were closed two days to Christmas and had remained so up to January 2, 2012 with no respite in sight.

Few residential areas had little flow on Christmas day.

All of a sudden, streams and ponds in and around the Municipality have become valuable sources of water for residents.

As early as dawn, children and women are seen trooping to and from ponds, streams and abandoned boreholes in and around Ho.

Sachet water has also assumed a much greater importance as people go looking for them for drinking and cooking. Their prices have however remained the same.

Many food vendors who could not contain the situation closed their chop bars.

When contacted, Mr Eric Bansah, Ho Municipal Manager of Ghana Water Company Limited, told the GNA that one of the pipes which convey water from the Kpeve substation got burst and that it was being replaced.

He promised that water would start flowing by January 1, 2012 but that assurance is yet to materialize.

Irrespective of the situation, the churches were filled beyond capacity during watch-night services with several people lingering outside as some wander about.

There was jubilation all over as the congregations were informed that they had crossed over into 2012.

At the Jubilee Christian Centre, an Usher was heard praying loud, thanking God for having entered the New Year and said, “God, I pray that this year, the taps will flow without ceasing and we will not have intermittent power cuts.”

Rev. James Noble Tulasi, Head Pastor of the Church who attributed the late start of the service to the water problem, also expressed the hope that the GWCL would surmount all challenges this year and provide uninterrupted services to the citizenry.

The congregation offered prayers for peaceful elections in December.

Source: GNA