THE ENTIRE municipality of Nkawkaw in the Kwawu West Municipal Assembly of the Eastern region is in the state of dilemma as three rivers that serve as alternative source of water are being destroyed.
Some of the residents have made it a habit to dispose tons of garbage and faeces wrapped in black polythene bags into the rivers making the rivers non-drinkable.
According to Joe Kakati, a geologist, Nkawkaw is notable to be among the two towns in the country that have sufficient potable underground water that can serve a large community. He described Nkawkaw water as very clean from underground because of the kinds of rocks which filter the water before it is fetched from the wells.
Mr. Kakati claimed that the underground water in the area does not necessary need treatment but it is unfortunate water as an essential commodity has been very scarce for more than two decades, making more than half of the population at Nkawkaw Township resorting to the rivers as their source of drinking water, which is now polluted.
Information gathered by the paper indicated that three rivers in the town which serve as alternative source of water in the town are almost dead, polluted with tons of garbage and faeces among others.
Opanin Kwasi Debrah, a 70-year-old man, and resident of Adoagyiri, a suburb of Nkawkaw who spoke to the DAILY HERITAGE said River Trado which was the source of drinking water for Trado, a village near Nkawkaw and some parts of Nkawkaw during the sixties is now polluted with garbage.
Opanin Debra said there were two big fenced wells owned by Agya Debra, his great grandfather which was serving Adoagyiri and other environs, and the other one which is situated at the centre of the town is for the Kwawu West Municipal Assembly and serves the rest of the town.
He mentioned rivers such as Trado, Nkawkaw and Brempong as the source of water for the early settlers of the town and said it is unfortunate that these days people defecate, pour heaps of garbage into the rivers while others also direct their drains into the rivers.
Now the residents at Nkawkaw are appealing to the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Environmental Protection Agency and Municipal Assembly to come to their aid to check the bad behaviour.
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