Residents of Kodjonya in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality say they are struggling with wastewater from the Krobo Girls Senior High School spilling into their homes daily, describing the situation as increasingly difficult to live with.
They said the daily overflow had created foul-smelling and unsanitary conditions in the area and called on municipal authorities to construct a proper drainage system to prevent the wastewater from running through the community.
According to them, bathroom wastewater from the school’s dormitories flows downhill into Kodjonya each day, leaving parts of the area flooded with foul-smelling water and disrupting their routine activities.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Eugene Teye, a resident, said the situation had become increasingly difficult to endure.
“We are suffering because the bathroom wastewater is affecting us,” he said. “These days we do not even have a place to step. From about 0500 hours, the wastewater starts flowing through the area and it affects our daily activities.”
Another resident of Menekpo Yiti, Ms Lydia Mamle, said the issue had persisted for a long time and urged the Municipal Assembly to construct a proper drain from the school to link the main roadside gutter.
“Religiously, it is not good to be crossing people’s bath wastewater,” she said. “As a member of the Truth Faith Church, we have been warned that it can bring bad luck.”
She added that the situation had worsened sanitation conditions in the community.
When contacted, the Headmistress of Krobo Girls SHS, Madam Bernice Noel Mensah Akutteh, confirmed the situation but declined to comment further.
“I am not ready to speak on the issue,” she told the GNA. “I have forwarded everything to the Municipal Chief Executive and the Director, so you can follow up at the Assembly.”
The Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Director for the Environmental Health Unit, Mr Bright Yao Gbedze, said the challenge stemmed largely from the school’s inadequate drainage system and buildings constructed too close to the school wall.
He said he visited the area after receiving the complaint.
“According to the Headmistress, there is a land litigation along the way, but the issue has been reported to the Konor of Manya Krobo,” he said.
Mr Gbedze explained that although the Headmistress had earlier written to the Municipal Chief Executive seeking assistance, constructing a proper drainage channel from the school to the main roadside gutter would require substantial funding.
He noted that the school’s population of about 4,000 students meant that wastewater from the dormitories flowed continuously and directly into the community.
He said the only long-term solution would be to construct a proper drainage system to channel the wastewater into the main gutter along the Somanya–Kpong road.
Efforts by the GNA to reach the Municipal Chief Executive through phone calls and messages proved unsuccessful.
Residents say the situation continues to pose environmental and health concerns, as they endure daily discomfort caused by stagnant wastewater and an unpleasant stench.
Source: GNA
