Residents of Kadentwe, a farming community in the Krachi West Municipality of the Oti Region, are living through a prolonged water crisis despite being surrounded by the Oti River and several other water bodies.
For years, access to clean and reliable water has remained a daily challenge for residents of Kadentwe, Ehiamakyene, Kete-Krachi township and several neighbouring communities.
Various interventions, including the drilling of boreholes and the installation of water systems, have either failed or proved inadequate.
During a visit by Adom News, Obrempongba Owusu found residents of Kadentwe collecting water from a dugout believed to be contaminated.
The water is used for drinking and household chores, raising concerns about the potential spread of waterborne diseases.
Several water systems and boreholes in the area have also broken down.
Residents complained that some newly drilled boreholes functioned for only about three months before failing.
The situation has forced children and adults to queue for hours to collect water or walk for approximately 40 minutes to the Oti River to fetch water for domestic use.
Speaking with Adom News, Nana Addae Emmanuel, the Okyeame of Kadentwe, and others said the community had struggled with water shortages since its establishment.
“We are dying of thirst,” they lamented.
They explained that several interventions by the Member of Parliament, Helen Adwoa Ntoso, and other organisations had failed to resolve the problem, partly because of the difficult terrain in the area.
According to Nana Addae Emmanuel, the water crisis is also affecting education, health, and economic activities as some children are occasionally compelled to stay away from school to search for water.
The community members appealed to the government, non-governmental organisations and development partners to support the construction of a water treatment facility that could draw and treat water from the Oti River for distribution across the municipality.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Krachi West, Prosper Addo, expressed concern, particularly as the municipality is surrounded by major water bodies.
He disclosed that the assembly was pursuing a partnership with Zoomlion Magma to construct a US$6.7 million water treatment facility.
The project, he said, would help address the municipality’s long-standing water challenges.
According to Prosper Addo, the assembly has been asked to provide a commitment of GH¢8 million towards the project, a requirement he said needed urgent government support.
He also revealed that the assembly had constructed 17 major boreholes since 2025 and was repairing some existing facilities as temporary measures to ease the crisis within surrounding areas.
The MCE commended World Vision Ghana and other development partners for supporting water provision in some communities but appealed for additional assistance to address the challenge comprehensively.
The water crisis has renewed concerns about the development needs of the Oti Region and Krachi West in particular.
Residents recall that their communities surrendered large portions of their land in 1966 for the construction of the Akosombo Dam, a project that continues to contribute significantly to Ghana’s electricity supply.
They believe the sacrifice should be matched with improved access to basic services, especially clean and safe drinking water.
For Kadentwe and other affected communities, the Oti River represents both abundance and an unfulfilled promise.
Residents are now calling for urgent and lasting action to transform the river into a dependable source of life rather than a distant and unsafe option for survival.
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