IS GHANA READY TO IMPORT PORTABLE WATER?
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Water remains an essential
commodity in the ecosystem as well as the human body. The benefits of water in
our everyday lives cannot be over-emphasized.
Keeping the human body
hydrated is a crucial undertaken for good health and well-being.
Although, water is ubiquitous
in nature pointing out the inevitable roles water plays in the ecosystem.
About 60 percent of the human body is made up of
water and about 70 percent of the planet’s surface is covered by water this
revealed how important water is very essential and necessary to living organism
on earth.
These should have been a great opportunity for the
country to enjoy portable water and also protect aquatic life but sad to note
that these water bodies have rather turned a national contaminants.
Water bodies in Ghana are filled with all kinds of
pollutants including arsenic found plastics, human excreta, sewage from
industries and inorganic compounds used for illegal mining across the country
and these have made the gift of nature unsafe for human consumption.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Organization (UNO) as
part of its sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have captured to ensure,
protect and maintain the condition of the world through universal safe drinking
water for all by 2030, unfortunately, this vision of the United Nations have
been shattered by the irresponsible activities of the people in the country.
Human health is very important to every country, because
the stronger the labour force, there is a higher increase in the productivity ensuring
the stability the economic growth of the country but the situation in Ghana on
water contamination has become a norm and order of the day forgetting the adverse
effect of the consumption of polluted water.
The widespread problem of water pollution is
jeopardizing national health. Unsafe water kills more people each year than war
and all other form of violence combined which can be attributed to the irresponsible
behavior of countrymen.
The target of the United Nations of By 2030 which is to improve water quality by
reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous
chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated waste water and
substantially increasing recycling and safe refuse globally seems not to be applicable
in Ghana and none of the law enforcement agencies see to enforce the law by
punishing wrong doers or subject them to the law court to set offenders as a deterrent
for others to desist from all forms of pollution in the country.
Notwithstanding
the increasing rate of pollution of water bodies in the country, waste
management in the country has been a major problem in the country, dumping
refusing in water bodies seems to be the easiest method to people to get rid of
the household waste in the country.
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| Pollutants in the heart of Accra |
Aside these, illegal mining has also become another agent of water contamination in the country. Illegal mining activities has caused a great harm to the nation, miners have replaced our portable water for minerals by diluting the water bodies with inorganic compounds.
Researches reveal that most prominent source of
water in the country like the Densu, Pra, Offin, Ankobra have been contaminated
with mercury and cyanide which is dangerous to the human body especially in reproduction
and digestion.
How safe are we if we continue to consume this water
infested with mercury, arsenic and cyanide? Should we continue to pollute our
own water and deliberately call on the government to provide us with portable
water?
The rampant pollution of water in the country can
also be attributed to the irresponsible behavioral patterns of the individual. Most
water bodies across the country are now unsafe for human consumption and this
will be a greater burden for the government to import portable water for
consumption while we dilute our water bodies with inorganic compounds and human
excreta.
The Sustainable Development Goals of UNO which
targeted to emancipate the African continent from poverty is nothing to write
home about since the people within the continent seems not change their attitude
towards the protection and sustenance of the environment.
Although, Ghana can boost of numerous water processing
companies but how many people in the country can afford to buy water for all
their consumption and house chores? There is a need as citizens not spectators
to ensure that that our environment especially are water bodies are protected
and free from pollutants.
The consumption of contaminated water has an adverse
impact on the economic growth of the country, the more people consume polluted
water, the more the country decrease in productivity since the problems in
Ghana has not yet being solved completely there is the need to rethink of water
pollution as a national conversation and start to change our attitude and protect
our water bodies.
Fellow Ghanaians, this is the land our birth
obtained through the blood and toil of our forefathers therefore, we should
join in hands to converse our water bodies since the government is not ready to
bear the burden of water importation. water is life and an essential component
in the ecosystem.
KYEI BAFFOUR ALEX-
Watch our YouTube digital story on Water Pollution in Ghana
Listen to the most recent episode of my podcast: WATER POLLUTION IN GHANA-GROUP 4
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