President John Dramani Mahama has assured the people of the Northern Regional capital, Tamale and its environs that his government would tackle the water crisis that has hit the area lately.
He said there were two important water projects government intended to undertake during the tenure of his administration to boost water provision to Tamale and its adjoining communities.
They are a new water treatment plant in Yapei and the Yendi Water Supply Project, he said.
President Mahama gave this assurance when he addressed two separate gatherings in the Northern Region on Saturday; first, a courtesy call on the overlord of the Dagbon Kingdom, Ndan Yaa-Naa, Naa Abukari II at the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi and a ‘Thank You’ durbar in Tamale.
“Ndan Yaa-Naa, I can assure you that by the time I come to say goodbye at the end of the tenure of my administration, Yendi will have enough water supply,” he said at the Gbewaa palace.
On water supply to the Tamale metropolis and its environs, President Mahama explained that the idea was to draw water from the proposed new treatment plant at Yapei from the White Volta to supplement what the city currently receives from the Dalun Treatment Plant.
He said the Dalun Treatment facility in the Kumbungu District which sources water from the Nawuni River had served Tamale over the years, and needed immediate short term solution to enhance its productivity as a long term solution was found to the crisis.
“In the meantime, we are going to rehabilitate the water treatment plant at Dalun and change the pumps so that they can bring additional water into Tamale,” he stated.
President Mahama’s assurances were in response to requests by the Overlord and the regional minister at the two separate events.
According to President Mahama, the city of Tamale had been suffering from perennial water shortages because the population had increased exponentially over the years without corresponding investments in water supply systems.
In this regard, he said government was determined to once and for all end the Tamale water crisis.
President Mahama’s assurance comes on the heels of The Ghanaian Times’ lead story on Friday, March 21, 2025 with the caption ‘Tamale metropolis water crisis: six SHSs most affected…students abandon classes in search of water’.
The report tells of how students of Tamale Islamic SHS, Tamale Girls SHS, Ghana SHS, Kalpohini SHS, Dabokpa Technical Institute and Vitting Secondary Technical School had to trek long distances in search of water for their daily activities.
The situation, which has persisted for more than a year, this paper gathered had become disruptive to smooth teaching and learning in the schools and by extension the Tamale township.
FROM JULIUS YAO PETETSI, TAMALE
