Dormaa Ahenkro (B/A), Feb 27, GNA - An acute water shortage has compelled the authorities of Dormaa Secondary School to send the 1,400 students home on an early one-week mid-term holidays. Mr. John A. Akrong, Assistant Headmaster told the Ghana News Agency that the school began experiencing the problem when the pump on the school's borehole developed a fault.

The situation was aggravated two weeks ago when the Ghana Water Company cut supply to the school to carry out major repairs on the reservoir feeding Dormaa Ahenkro. Mr. Akrong said until the students were asked to go home on February 23, the school had spent about 2.4 million cedis on water for two weeks while students purchased water from a bore hole in the town for 150 cedis a bucket. He explained that the school would use the one-week holiday to

raise about 20 million cedis for the restoration of the pump. The Assistant Headmaster said the plight of the school had brought to the notice of the Chairman of the School's Board, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu 11, Omanhene of the Dormaa Traditional Area and other stakeholders including the District Assembly and the Directorate of Education. He said the school had not been closed down indefinitely adding that, the step had been taken to resolve the "debilitating problem".

When contacted, Mr. Antwi Agyei Baffour of the Dormaa office of the Ghana Water Company said equipment had arrived at the reservoir for work on the project, which started on February 24. He expressed the hope that it would be completed within 10 days.