Residents of Gbetsile, Apolonia and Kakasunanka protest over months of water crisis and poor roads

Residents of Gbetsile, Apolonia and Kakasunanka in the Kpone Katamanso Municipality of the Greater Accra Region have staged a protest to demand urgent action over persistent water shortages and deplorable road conditions in their communities.

Clad in red and black attire, the protesters marched through the streets chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards to draw attention to what they described as months of neglect by authorities.

The residents say the lack of access to potable water has placed severe hardship on families, forcing many to rely on expensive water vendors for their daily needs.

One resident said, “Now, a pipe drum of water is being sold to us for GHS200, which is too much. We cannot bear.

According to some protesters, the cost of a drum of water has increased significantly, making it difficult for ordinary households to afford clean water.

“Our only aim is to get water. We are suffering. Water is life, and we cannot continue to live like this,” another affected woman said during the demonstration.

The protesters also appealed to the government, the Ghana Water Company Limited and local authorities to urgently intervene and restore regular water supply to the affected communities.

A resident, Mr Stephen Quarcoo, argued that it should not take several months to repair damaged pipelines while thousands of people continue to struggle for water.

“We are not interested in technical explanations. It should not take engineers six months to fix a pipeline while people are suffering,” Mr Quarcoo stated.

He also warned that the continued neglect of the communities could have political consequences, cautioning the Member of Parliament to urgently intervene or risk losing the support of residents in future elections.

“If the MP does not come to our rescue, he will lose his seat. This situation will affect the government itself. We are human beings and cannot continue to live without water. Even animals need water to survive,” one protester stated.

The demonstrators further expressed frustration over the poor state of roads in the area, describing them as dusty, damaged and difficult to use.

According to them, the deplorable roads continue to affect transportation, businesses and access to homes, especially during rainy conditions.

Residents say women and children are among the worst affected, as they are often forced to travel long distances in search of water for domestic use.

As part of the protest, the demonstrators indicated they would march to the Ghana Water Company office to present a petition before engaging their Member of Parliament and other government officials.

The residents are demanding immediate restoration of the water supply, improvement of road infrastructure and long-term solutions to challenges affecting the rapidly growing communities.

المصدر: MyJoyOnline (GH)