Correspondence from Bono East

Filth has taken over the bank of the Volta Lake in Yeji in the Pru East District of the Bono East region.

The bank of the largest man-made lake in the world which serves as a source of water for domestic and commercial purposes for the people Yeji and its environs is filled with different types of refuse posing a serious health risk to both residents and aquatic life.

With the rains about to set in, it is feared that all the debris along the bank of the lake will be washed inshore to further aggravate the situation.

Besides posing a major challenge to aquatic life, it is feared that it will also come with some water-related diseases as the lake is what the people depend on for survival.

A visit to the bank of the lake by Ghanaweb depicted a very sour situation as the lake which is the life-blood of the people has been polluted making it unsafe for human consumption.

Independent checks by Ghanaweb disclosed that the Yeji Traditional Council has put in place a task force to help deal with sanitation along the bank of the lake but it seems to have yielded no results.

Assistant Secretary of the Yeji Boat Owners Association, Hamidu Mohammed in an interview decried the poor sanitation along the bank of the lake and urged for a collective approach to address the problem.

“The filth along the Volta Lake is a headache for us. The problem will become more serious with the rains about to set in as all the debris will be washed into the lake. Sometimes it becomes difficult for us as the propellers of our boats get entangled with the debris and so we are appealing to the appropriate authorities to come and help us”.

Another boat owner popularly known as Haruna Boat shared similar sentiments and appealed to the appropriate authorities to prioritise the sanitation along the bank of the lake as the people depend on the lake for their livelihood.

Even though the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number six seeks to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, this cannot be achieved by the people living in Yeji and other surrounding communities with the current state of the Volta Lake.