River Dayi; The Unfinished Business

River Dayi lies in the catchment area of Hohoe in the Volta region of Ghana. Reports say the river got heavily polluted from siltation and other human activities. The 50-meter buffers around the river have been violated by some residents of Hohoe who inch ever closer to the water body, in a raft of activities that bear down negatively on this piece of nature, ultimately their savior.

The close proximity of human habitation caused the wash of soil into River Dayi. As if that was not enough, the river became a receptacle for garbage carried by running waters and this betrayed the reckless attitude towards the environment.

Hohoe, a large urban place in the scope of regional capitals neared water scarcity as the heavily-polluted River Dayi is the main source of distribution by the Ghana Water Company for the city. Polluted water bodies translate into high production costs and a reduction in the tempo with which treated water is supplied to consumers.

A rare act of communal labor by the youth galvanized around the tree planting clubs formed by the Forestry authorities then plunged into the river to retrieve all debris from it. The added advantage was that trees were planted on the banks of the river which was to prevent direct sun rays from hitting the river, keep people away from coming close to the river, and reduce siltation.

Even as the workers celebrate the cleansing, they have other rude awakeners. Torrential rains continue to muddy the river with sand and garbage as refuse piles are washed downstream in a vicious cycle.

The trees planted around the river are sometimes cut down by residents on the blindside of the authorities. The recommendation is that environmental workers are financed to invent trap cages that are to be placed in water courses to impede solid waste from entering the river.

It is, however, unknown, the interface between liquid waste and River Dayi but the very nature of this waste could be the silent complication to the whole mix, yet to be uncovered.

River Dayi is still an unfinished business.