GWCL expressed worry about open defecation, indiscriminate waste disposal “Heavily Polluting Water Bodies” in Bono Region
Sunyani, April 04, 2022
Open defecation, indiscriminate solid and liquid waste disposal are heavily polluting water bodies in the country, making the cost of treatment for consumption more expensive.
Dr. Samuel Ason, the Bono Regional Chief Manager of Ghana Water Company Limit (GWCL) bemoaned.
He was speaking to Newsmen in Sunyani on Friday in Sunyani and said “the GWCL is incurring more than double the cost of treating water bodies for consumption as a result of continues heightening human practices”.
He said other human activities including indiscriminate felling of trees, illegal mining and unwholesome chemical farming were greatly and continuously causing pollution of minor streams and other water sources.
“These unhealthy human practices are also destroying the natural habitat of fish species and other aquatic animals”, Dr. Ason stated, saying reckless destruction of the environment due to human activities were drying up many water bodies.
Dr. Ason, explaining the worrisome situation stated “when we pollute our water bodies, it becomes more expensive to treat for consumption, the cost doubles and therefore becomes extremely high”.
These deliberate and inhuman activities were also heavily destroying the soil, vegetation and crops, Dr. Ason said.
He noted there was the need for supply of more water as the population keeps growing rapidly.
Many communities are experiencing extinction of water bodies because of the severe impact of reckless environmental activities such as felling of trees meant to prevent rapid evacuation.
Dr. Ason emphasized the heavier water bodies are polluted or destroyed, the more chemicals needed for treatment to make it consumable, therefore every garbage must be disposed of in a proper way.
“Water is life, no body can live without water”, he stated, adding that “after air, the next essential commodity for man survival is water”.
Dr. Ason stressed “we owe it as a responsibility to ensure all water bodies and environmental resources are well protected for our own survival”.
He therefore admonished the populace to have change of attitude towards the environment and water bodies for sustainable life now and future.
Dr. Ason stated the water resources was not for this current generation alone, but the generations unborn, therefore urged the citizenry to do the right thing to help protect water bodies by desisting from throwing garbages into gutters and other activities causing pollution.
He urged the law enforcement agencies and the Municipal and District Assemblies to ensure application of their by-laws to bring perpetrators of such unlawful activities to book.
SYDA