Keseve-Ada, (E/R) Sept. 11, GNA - Fear has gripped the people of Ada over heart and stroke related cases caused by consumption of high salinity water.

According to medical experts, one of the major causes of deaths in Ada and its environs are heart related cases due to high salinity water intake.

Dr. Philip Narh of the Dangme East District Hospital who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Ada said a greater number of adult deaths in the area were due to hypertension and other heart related diseases.

Dr. Narh said high salinity water consumption reduces ones taste for salt hence more consumption than the body required. According to him about 2.7 per cent of Ada adults are suffering from chronic heart related diseases.

He related this to improper treatment of water by the Ghana Water Company at Ada, adding that the best water for human consumption should be tasteless, odourless and there should not be segmentation and salinity.

Dr. Narh said the water being treated at Keseve near Big Ada has a high concentration of salt, thereby making it bitter. According to Dr. Narh, if this situation was not checked, very soon the majority of the over 130,000 populace of Ada and 14 other towns in South Tongu District would face an outbreak of heart related diseases. When GNA contacted Mr Simon Zaryi, Director of Water and Sewage of Ghana Water Company at Keseve, he said sometime in the year, the salinity in the Volta River at Ada became high due to the high tidal waves of the sea whilst river water level was low.

He said that many factors and research were taken into consideration before locating the water treatment plant at Keseve to supply potable water to areas like Kasseh, Tamatoku, Kadzanya, Big Ada, Ada Foah, Totimekorpey and some 14 villages near Sogakorpey. Meanwhile the chiefs and people of the area have made several appeals to the Ghana Water Company to relocate the treatment plant to Vume where the salinity concentration is less or should forward proposals to the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing to join these areas to the Sege Three District Water Project, which has its treatment plant at Aveyime.