Atsieve (V/R), Aug. 10, GNA - The chiefs and people of Atsieve in the South Tongu District have appealed to the government and philanthropists to assist them with potable water to forestall an outbreak of water borne disease.

Torgbe Azalu II, Chief of Atsieve, said "although we are about 10 kilometres from the Volta Lake we do not have access to potable water which is affecting our socio-economic development as farmers".

He made the appeal when management of Rural Urban Partnership for African (RUPFA) an NGO visited the area, to conduct pre-feasibility study on the possibility of building a new dam.

"Our only source of water is from rain and a dam we managed to build some time ago and being used for domestic purposes has also dried up," he said.

"The water problem is affecting the education and health care of the people especially the children because most households cannot afford GHp 50 per bucket," Torgbe Azalu said.

Mr Richard Ashaley, the Executive Director of RUPFA, said their objective was to alleviate poverty, reverse rural urban drift and promote self-reliance.

"We are considering mobilising funds to build a dam to relieve the people from their acute water problem and facilitate development in the area," he said.

Mr Ashaley said their modus operandi was encouraging participatory approach, strengthening network formation, active involvement of women and youth, encouraging gender balance, building good leadership capacity among the youth, women and men.

"We are working hard to ensure partnership of rural communities with the urban cities to reverse rural urban drift by organising income generation activities, community infrastructural development and community mobilisation concept," he said.

Some of the pupils told GNA that they could not attend classes regularly because of lack of water for household chores.