Today’s investigations have revealed that food vendors who sell at Tip-Toe Lane at Kwame Nkrumah Circle use water from fire hydrants to cook for public consumption as well as for their domestic use.
The practice, which poses grave danger to the health of unsuspecting patrons of these food vendors, our investigations further revealed, happens at the blind side of the city authorities.
Speaking to Today, scores of residents in the area confirmed that food vendors for a very long time have been relying on water from the hydrant to prepare the food they sell to unsuspecting members of the public and also for other household chores.
The residents expressed surprise the matter has not come to the attention of the authorities even though the practice had gone on for years.
They explained because there was no other source of water in the area, the residents including food vendors collect water from the hydrant.
According to them, they wished they could get a good source of water, but there was none, hence their reliance on the water from that source.
Though they admitted the water could be contaminated with some chemicals which can be harmful, they said they were constrained in terms of what to do to survive without water.
Ghana Fire Service (GFS) uses the various fire-hydrants in and around the city as back-ups in fighting fire in case of any emergency, but have had difficulties assessing some of the hydrants due to dumping of refuse on them (the hydrants) by individuals to conceal them.
Also unregulated buildings and structures at some installed areas of the hydrants, coupled with road constructions, have contributed to the difficulty the GFS goes through in ensuring that the hydrants are in good conditions for their intended purpose.
Ghana has made significant effort by providing access to improved water sources to 80% of the population and eliminating guinea worm from the country, a move which has been lauded by UNICEF.
However, despite these successes, about 4,000 Ghanaian children die each year from diarrhoea and about 23% of Ghanaian children also suffer from stunting chronic malnutrition linked to poor water and sanitation.
With the nation still battling sanitation issues and the potential risk of contracting cholera and other health related diseases, it is feared a pandemic of a contagious disease like cholera could hit the residents.
Last year a cholera epidemic broke in the national capital after the June 3 flood.
To forestall such an occurrence, some concerned residents appealed to the authorities to take drastic measures to cover the hydrant to render it inaccessible to the residents.
Last Week Thursday, January 07, 2016, Today alerted the Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, Prince Billy Anaglatey, about the activities of food vendors and he gave the assurance that he will send a team to check and halt the practice.
However, as at press time yesterday the vendors and residents were still siphoning water from the fire hydrant.
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