Five schools in the Krobo and Asuogyaman districts in the Eastern Region are still grappling with a water crisis after Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) cut off services due to unpaid bills.
The five other schools without water are Yilo Krobo SHS, Krobo Girls SHS, Anum Presby SHS, Anum Presby Vocational Institute, Boso Senior High Technical, and Akro Senior High Technical Schools.
Akro Senior High Technical School remains indebted to GWCL with an outstanding amount of GHC 700,000.
Some students of the affected schools spoke to Asaase News, saying the situation is affecting academic work and therefore worrying.
This situation is the result of a nationwide disconnection exercise undertaken by the Ghana Water Company Limited of the schools following their indebtedness to the service provider.
They include the Yilo Krobo SHS, Krobo Girls SHS, Anum Presby SHS, Anum Presby Vocational Institute, Boso Senior High Technical and Akro Senior High Technical Schools.
Out of the number, however, Krobo Girls has settled its bill of Ghc590,000, leaving the five remaining schools still without water.
When Asaase News visited the Akro Senior High Technical School, which is said to be indebted to the GWCL to a tune of GHC 700,000, the students had formed long queues to draw water from the only borehole serving the school community.
With the population of first- and third-year students standing at almost 1,000, the students, together with teaching and non-teaching staff, only have the mechanised borehole with a polytank to depend on for their drinking, cooking, cleaning, washing, and other activities.
The situation is no different at Boso Senior High Technical School, where the entire student community also depends solely on a mechanised borehole on campus.
Aside from queuing for commodities for their needs, the students are also mandated to fetch them for their teachers and to the kitchen, a situation that inconveniences them.
The compound prefect of the Akro Senior High Technical School, Awuah Eric Akwasi, said in an interview that the situation posed a lot of difficulties to them.
“It got to a time when I think the machine tank in the water from underground got spoiled, so we were facing a lot of problems. We needed to wake up at dawn to come and join this long queue and sometimes we also fetch it to our teachers in their bungalows. By the time we get to our classrooms, we’re tired; we can’t even concentrate so we sleep in class,” he said.
A final-year female student also had similar sentiments.
According to her, she and other female students are particularly affected by the situation during their menstrual period.
She said, “The water problem in our school is affecting us negatively; at times, even going to class is a problem. At times, we those who are in our menses, if there’s a shortage of water, suffer a lot.”
Appealing for government immediate intervention, the final-year students said the situation, if not immediately addressed, could have adverse effects on their preparations for their impending WASSCE.
Asaase news gathered that though the attention of the Regional Directorate of Education has been drawn to the challenges, the problem has not been addressed.
The students and staff are therefore, appealing to the government and individuals to come to their aid to put an end to students’ struggle for water on campus.
Reporting by John Attafuah in the Eastern Region
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