Residents in the Ashanti region may, in the coming days, have to find alternative source of water because the Ghana Water Company Limited in the region have shut operations in protest of a demolition exercise on a property they claim to own.
On Wednesday, the workers served an ultimatum to a private developer and stakeholders involved in the demolition of their property Ridge residential area in Kumasi to halt the exercise or they will be forced to cut water supply.
But Joy News checks have revealed the land was used as collateral for private developers tasked to construct bungalows for government agencies who were affected by the retainment of about four hundred acres of land by the Asantehene.
Vice Chair of the Senior Staff Association of Ghana Water Limited in Ashanti, Emmanuel Okpoti in an interview with JoyNews’ Emmanuel Bright Quaicoe said the temporary shutdown will affect every part of the region.
“We are shutting operations to the whole of Ashanti region. Until they heed to our demands, we are not resuming operations,” he said.
According to Mr. Okpoti, the said facilities in contention is located on a high elevation and holds some vital components for water distribution.
He explains the handing the space to be overtaken by the private developer could affect water distribution to parts of the metropolis.
“It means that they are just going to take away our facilities. How can we supply water when we don’t have the opportunity to expand. Because high elevations are important for water supply. They provide avenues to water flow. So that we can use that one to augment our flow within the region,” he said.