As new settlements spring up in the newly created Kpone-Katamanso District, the spate of development of these communities has not been matched with provision of basic amenities. Appolonia, Katamanso, Kobekrom, New York, Atta Deka, and Zenu are some of the new settlements scattered about 7 kilometers away from Ashaiman.

Apart from the fact that they lack drainage systems and the road network is terrible, residents here have a huge challenge with access to potable water.

In our Joy News Exclusive Series on JoyNews on Multi TV, Emefa Ewoenam Atiamoah-Eli, who visited these communities, reports of the distressing problem of lack of access to portable water- to the extent that tricycle riders who previously moved from house to house collecting rubbish, have now joined the water distribution business, selling gallons of water to various homes at extortionate rates.

Until lately, Tanker drivers made all the money in the water business; commuting between Ashaiman and these communities to supply water to individual homes. The trend however appears to be changing, with tricycle riders now becoming the preferred choice of water distribution as their rates are lower.

The Tanker drivers say the Tricycle operators have taken over their business. Tanker driver, George, who has been supplying water to customers in Atta Deka, New York and Katamanso for the past two to three years until the evolution of the etricycle riders, is not excited about the emergence of the new entrants in the water business.

He told JN Exclusives’ Emefa Atiamoah-Eli that “these tricycle drivers have taken over our business, as they now move from home to home distributing water in yellow gallons at 60pesewas per gallon. In the the past, the water business was good. Now, it is not so good as we struggle to make our daily sales with these tricycles coming along”

What this situation means is that those individuals who are into the sale of water, often supplied by these tanker operators and stored in large poly tanks, are also going out of business. In other words, since the largely compound households in these communities, are now buying water directly from the tricycle riders, hardly would they visit this stationery water sale joints to buy water.