The people of Bontrase in the Awutu Senya West Municipality of the Central region are seriously hit with water crisis causing young children to venture into digging wells to sell water.

According to sources, a fetish priest in the area says it is because the people of Bontrase have depleted their forest reserves, this he said has caused the gods to flee the town, the reason for the water shortage.

Nyankonton Mu Nsem's Fiifi Ankomah who visited the town, said the fetish priest demanded an amount of GHC1,800 and a ram to perform rituals to pacify the gods before the people can get water.

The traditional rulers according to Ankomah bought the ram for the said rituals while the Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya West, and Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Hannah Tetteh reportedly paid the money for the priest to perform the rituals.

Some men of God in the area, have raised concerns over the the rituals claiming it is ungodly, and have expressed their displeasure at the decision of the chiefs to allow the rituals performed after they have failed to attend a planned prayer session over the same issue.