Residents of Gbetsile, Apolonia and Kakasunanka in the Kpone Katamanso Municipality of the Greater Accra Region have staged a protest over ongoing water shortages and poor road conditions in their communities.
Dressed in red and black, the protesters marched through the streets singing solidarity songs and displaying placards to express frustration over what they described as prolonged neglect by authorities.
According to the residents, the lack of access to potable water has created serious hardship, forcing many families to depend on costly water vendors for daily use.
One resident said, “Now, a pipe drum of water is being sold to us for GHS200, which is too much. We cannot bear”.
Some protesters said the rising cost of water has made it difficult for many 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 appealed to the government, the Ghana Water Company Limited and local authorities to urgently restore regular water supply to the affected areas.
A resident, Mr Stephen Quarcoo, said authorities should not take several months to repair damaged pipelines while residents continue to suffer.
“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 continued neglect of the communities could have political consequences if immediate action is not taken.
“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 also expressed concern over the poor state of roads in the area, describing them as dusty, damaged and difficult to use, especially during the rainy season.
Residents said the situation is affecting transportation, businesses and access to homes, with women and children among the worst affected as they often travel long distances in search of water.
As part of the protest, the residents said they would march to the Ghana Water Company office to present a petition before engaging their Member of Parliament and other government officials.
The protesters are demanding the immediate restoration of water supply, improvement of roads and long-term solutions to challenges facing the fast-growing communities.
