The Mayor of Tamale, Alhaji Adam Abubakar Takoro, has expressed concern over the city’s deteriorating water infrastructure, describing the situation as a major challenge affecting daily life in the Northern Regional capital.
Speaking after his appearance before Parliament’s Local Government and Rural Development Committee on Thursday, the Mayor revealed that the city’s main water system relies on machinery that has been in operation for nearly five decades without significant upgrades.
“If you take the water challenge in the Northern Region, especially in Tamale, we used to have a pumping station at Dalon. The machines there have been in use for almost 50 years. They were installed when the population was about 11 million, but now we are close to 28 million — yet the same machines are still serving us,” he lamented.
He explained that the outdated system has forced the Ghana Water Company to adopt a rationing schedule, rotating water supply among communities. However, the rationing process, he said, has become increasingly unreliable.
“Sometimes, an area can go for as long as six months or more without water flowing through the taps,” he disclosed.
Alhaji Abubakar noted that the situation has compelled the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly and other stakeholders to find temporary alternatives to ease the burden on residents.
“We are identifying areas where the water table is stable and drilling boreholes for communities to use. In the peri-urban areas, we are rehabilitating dams so that people can access water in the meantime,” he stated.
He further revealed that schools and hospitals are among the worst affected, but the Assembly has deployed water tankers to support such institutions.
“The Assembly has given out our tankers to serve some schools. In places where there are dams, students use that water for washing and bathing, while the tanker supply is reserved for drinking,” he added.
The Mayor expressed optimism that the ongoing collaboration between the Government of Ghana and the European Union will soon bring lasting relief.
“The Water and Housing Minister has already visited the Dalon station, and we are expecting new machines to be installed both there and at Yapei. These will boost supply to Tamale and even beyond to Yendi,” he said.
Addressing concerns about the recent termination of contracts for sanitation workers, Alhaji Abubakar clarified that measures were being taken to fill the gap temporarily until a new recruitment exercise is completed.
“The contract was terminated by government, but I’m doing my best as Mayor to replace the workers. Some youth have been engaged temporarily to maintain the central business district while we await official clearance to recruit more than before,” he explained.
The Tamale Mayor reaffirmed his commitment to improving sanitation and water supply under President John Dramani Mahama’s agenda to enhance living conditions across the country.
“Sanitation is a key priority for His Excellency, and we will continue working to ensure that the people of Tamale are protected and their basic needs met,” he stressed.