The Wa West District Assembly has commissioned 10 newly constructed boreholes to alleviate severe water shortages across various communities and at the Ghana National Fire Service station in Wechiau.

The water intervention, funded through a dedicated 10 per cent allocation of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF), cost nearly GH¢500,000.

District Chief Executive (DCE) Richard Wulo, accompanied by Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Toobu Lanchene, led the commissioning tour, officially handing over the facilities to the various communities.

The beneficiary communities, which received nine hand-pump boreholes, include Jaglu, Ponyamayiri, Yokoroteng, Nadizier, Diesi, Polee, Loorteng, Wherekobo, and Dakpalateng. A 10th, fully mechanised borehole was installed specifically for the Wechau fire station.

The mechanised borehole at the Wechau Fire Station comes as a major relief for the personnel.

District Fire Officer, ADO I Memuna Bayeaba, expressed profound gratitude, noting that the command had suffered for some time due to the water situation.

Addressing the gathering at the station, DCE Richard Wulo revealed that the initiative followed a direct plea from the fire commander, emphasising that the fire service needs water to execute its mandatory duties.

MP Lanchene echoed this critical need and challenged the DCE to further support the station by allocating GH¢20,000 from the common fund to construct a shed for the fire engine, which currently sits exposed to temperatures of up to 38 degrees Celsius.

For the rural communities, the new boreholes mark an end to years of relying on contaminated streams. Yokoroteng Assembly Member, Manan Zumoruh, lamented that residents previously had to compete with animals for drinking water during dry seasons, describing the borehole as the DCE's first major project in the area.

At Wherekobo, Assembly Member Claudius Darekuuyore of the Sanwor electoral area praised DCE Richard Wulo as a "listening father" who promptly responded to the four-section community's severe water shortages.

Darekuuyore strongly reminded residents that while it is his duty to lobby and the Assembly's duty to provide the funds, the community bears the ultimate responsibility for the borehole's maintenance.

He charged the locals to keep the surroundings clean and pack stones around the facility to prevent deterioration, adding that good maintenance practices will attract further development partners.

Similarly, Polee Assembly Member, Mahama Abdul Fataw, highlighted the burden on women, who frequently sat waiting for hours just to fetch water from low-yielding sources.

Local leaders across these communities have since formed water management committees to oversee the maintenance of the facilities to ensure longevity.

To assure residents of their safety, District Engineer Abdul-Razak Ibrahim confirmed that the contractor had the Ghana Water Company conduct rigorous water quality testing on all ten boreholes.

“The laboratory results indicated that the water is of good quality and entirely safe for human consumption. Copies of the lab results were given to each community leadership team to verify the safety standards.”

DCE Richard Wulo credited the success of the water projects to the government's decentralization policy, which now sees 80 per cent of the DACF transferred directly to the districts, allowing them to tackle local problems financially.

Mr Lanchene, addressing residents at Ponyamayiri, reiterated the importance of unity and partisan-free development, assuring the communities that more developmental projects are in the pipeline.

While celebrating the water projects, community leaders used the occasion to appeal for further interventions, particularly the extension of the electricity grid and the rehabilitation of poor road networks.