The fate of the Weija dam, which is the most important Dam in Accra is beginning to hang in the balance. This is following some unfavourable human activities which are gradually encroaching the water and making it less portable.
The dam was constructed in 1978 and serves as the major source of water in the Greater Accra Region, supplying up to 80% of water in Accra.
It is, however, losing so much even as it’s banks keep closing in. This is as a result of activities such as dumping of both industrial and domestic waste into the dam. More so, surrounding communities use it as not only a place of refuse disposal but for other commercial activities that do no good to the water.
While a part of the dam became a refuse dump, most residents around use it as an outlet for their faeces. All these activities are gradually destroying the dam.
Although before now there have been attempts to rescue the dying dam, only very little was achieved. The first attempt made at saving the dam was through the use of security operatives who were brought to keep the dam in check, but they were seen off following court injunctions gotten against them.
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Also, there were attempts to fence the water which ended up with nothing to show as some land guards kept demolishing it. According to the Communications Director of the GWCL, Mr Stanley Martey, while speaking to the Daily Graphic, “these men come in at odd hours to break down every single fence we put up to protect the dam.”
Being a major source of water supply in Accra, anything that happens to the dam will definitely affect a lot of people.
The major effect these negative activities could cause the dam is its shrinking off with time. This is mostly as it is being pushed further and further.
More so, it has made the treatment of the water to be very expensive. According to Mr Martey, the cost of treating water has gone up in the last four years by as much as four times.
There are in fact, indications that the cost may even get much higher with time if the negative activities affecting the dam are not stopped.
As the Weija Dam keeps going off, its future lies in the Ga South Municipal Assembly which has the power to enforce laws against encroachment to take a strong stance that would change everything.
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