Yakubu Mohammed, the Member of Parliament for Ahafo Ano South-East and
the District Chief Executive, Mr. Issaka Yamba Nelson, have jointly cut the sod for the construction of a 60,000-cubic-litre mechanised borehole for the Ahwerewam community to address the acute water crisis in the area.
The 60,000-cubic-litre mechanised borehole, once completed, would serve hundreds of households, schools, and health facilities at Ahwerewam and nearby settlements, providing a sustainable solution to the community’s water challenges.
Mr. Nelson said residents have struggled for years to access safe drinking water, a situation worsened by the pollution of local rivers and streams through illegal mining activities. He stated that the people of Ahwerewam have been without access to safe drinking water for too long, and it is time to change that narrative.
He said the project, being undertaken in collaboration with Safe Water Network, will provide a reliable and sustainable source of potable water for the community. He disclosed that the mechanised borehole would be completed within six months to significantly improve public health by reducing residents’ dependence on contaminated water sources.
Mr Nelson lamented that excessive illegal mining had polluted all the rivers and streams in the community, leaving residents with no safe water sources. He emphasized that the intervention forms part of broader efforts by the Assembly to mitigate the environmental and health impacts of illegal mining.
The DCE reaffirmed the Assembly commitment to partnering with development agencies and NGOs to deliver critical social infrastructure while continuing to clamp down on activities that threaten the environment and public health.
The Member of Parliament, Yakubu Mohammed, revealed that his office and the District Assembly have been collaborating to engage government on introducing Responsible Cooperative Mining in the area.
According to him, the initiative seeks to provide regulated, environmentally sustainable mining opportunities for locals as an alternative to destructive illegal operations.
The MP stressed that enforcement would be intensified because the country had been fighting illegal mining for a long time, and assured that this time round, the authorities would not only arrest illegal miners, but their equipment would be seized and burnt so they could not return to work with it.
Residents of Ahwerewam welcomed the project, describing it as a long-awaited intervention.
Many said the pollution of water bodies had forced them to rely on expensive sachet water or unsafe sources, leading to recurring waterborne diseases.
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