YENDI WATER SUPPLY IMPROVES (PAGE 20)

RESIDENTS of Yendi and its surrounding areas are now heaving a sigh of relief following the resumption of the supply of pipe-borne water to the municipality.
The improvement of water supply was as a result of the increase in the volume of the only source of water for the area, River Dakar, which had dried up prior to the onset of the rains this year. Most of the residents described the situation as a rare phenomenon.
The acute water shortage in the municipality which affected regular and early school attendance,and also slowed down socio-economic activities in the area lasted for six weeks.
The Yendi Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Alhaji Mohammed Habib Tijani, mentioned silt and other practices such as farming and felling of trees on the banks of the river as some of the reasons for the dry-up.
The chief executive said this during a courtesy call on him by the General Manager (Newspapers) of the Graphic Communications Group Limited, Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh in Yendi as part of his working visit to the Northern Region last weekend.
Alhaji Tijani said during the crisis, water tankers had to be mobilised from Tamale and elsewhere to supply water to desperate residents, some of whom had to travel far in search of water.
''In collaboration with the Church of Christ, the assembly had to embark on a temporary measure by drilling a high yielding borehole that was mechanised and piped to some portions of the metropolis; and that became the source of majority of the people,” he stated.
Alhaji Tijani added that apart from the existing nine boreholes, the assembly and its partners had drilled seven additional ones, out of which three were high yielding.
The MCE, however, appealed to various stakeholders to support the assembly to mechanise the other boreholes and also desilt and maintain the river, so that “we do not experience what we have just gone through in future.”
Alhaji Tijani stated that Yendi was part of the areas to enjoy “town water system project” that had already begun in Damongo. The third beneficiary town was Wa in the Upper West Region.
The MCE said, under the project, which was being undertaken by the government with support from other donor agencies, the intake source would be River Oti, a distance of 18 miles from Yendi.
He added that the surrounding communities along the line would also benefit from the project.
Mr Ayeboafo advised the people to protect the river at all times to ensure uninterrupted water supply to the municipality.