Residents of Kalbeo-Zenga, a community in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region, can now heave a sigh of relief following the construction of a mechanized water system to address the long-standing water challenges in the area.
Since the establishment of the community, residents have struggled to access clean water for household use. The challenge largely stemmed from the difficulty in locating a reliable water table with sufficient quantity for the construction of boreholes.
As a result, community members often had to travel long distances in search of water for domestic use, their livestock, and other productive activities.
Several attempts by both state and non-state actors to construct boreholes in the community proved unsuccessful until the Bolgatanga Goodwill Rotary Club intervened.
With support from its Rotary partners in Canada, the club brought in a hydrologist who conducted extensive tests across the community and eventually identified a viable water table.
Following this discovery, the Bolgatanga Goodwill Rotary Club constructed a mechanized borehole system with two overhead water tanks. The community also contributed resources to install a third overhead tank to support agricultural activities.
The three overhead tanks have been strategically located in different parts of Kalbeo Zenga, ensuring that residents across the community now have improved access to clean and reliable water.
Speaking to the media over the weekend during the commissioning of the project, former President of the Bolgatanga Goodwill Rotary Club, John Azam, explained that the project began in 2023 and has now been successfully completed.
According to him, the difficult water situation faced by residents motivated the club to undertake the mechanized water system project.
“Somewhere 2023, we had this opportunity to partner with another Club in Canada, and we quickly looked at Kalbeo -Zenga which has water challenges. We brought some hydrologists from Accra, and they helped in finally getting water for the community. We have about three tanks that have been stationed in the community, which will serve the entire population. The community itself was able to help in constructing one of the overhead tanks,” he explained.
A representative of the Chief of Kalbeo, Godwin Akapire, expressed gratitude to the Rotary Club for the intervention and pledged the support of the traditional authority and the community to ensure proper maintenance of the facility.
“It is my pride. I can knock my chest and say my Zenga community no longer has issues with water. It is not only water but water and sanitation, and I want to assure Rotary Club that the Water and Sanitation Management Committee will receive my full support,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Assembly Member for the area, Sonny Ayariga, expressed excitement over the completion of the project, noting that it has brought an end to decades of water scarcity in the community.
“People came and deceived us that they were giving us water, but it never happened. They met a lady who was carrying water from far away, and they have indeed given us water. This shows that they have given us water. So, there are now four clans that have water, and it is now left with 4, so we will still plead with you to help,” he stressed
