Karikuka Residents in Despair as Community Competes with Cattle for Drinking Water

Residents of Karikuka in the Chereponi District of the North East Region are grappling with a severe water crisis, as more than 500 people depend on a single borehole for their daily water needs.

Despite participating in elections over the years, residents say the community has seen little to no developmental projects. Today, they are forced to compete not only among themselves but also with over 500 cattle for access to the only available source of potable water.

Ironically, “Karikuka” means “finished tears” in Hausa. Yet, for many residents, daily life is marked by frustration and hardship as they struggle to access clean water.

Each day presents a troubling scene: long queues of residents alongside herds of livestock, all vying for the same limited supply. In this harsh competition, only the strongest endure, leaving vulnerable individuals with little choice but to resort to unsafe water sources for cooking, drinking, and washing.

Community members warn that the lack of a reliable and functional water system has serious health implications. Poor hygiene conditions and dependence on contaminated water sources increase the risk of waterborne diseases, particularly among children and the elderly.

Local advocates are raising alarm over the situation.

 

Sherifatu Yakubu, Executive Director of She 360, described the crisis as both a development and public health emergency, urging authorities to intervene swiftly.

Similarly, Queen Ayisha Mohammed, Executive Director of Mata Da Aiki, emphasized the urgent need for sustainable water infrastructure in the area.

 

Residents are calling for immediate investment in additional boreholes and proper water storage facilities to ease the burden and improve living conditions in Karikuka.

With just four years remaining to the 2030 deadline for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the situation highlights the broader challenge of achieving SDG 6 ensuring access to clean water and sanitation for all, particularly in Ghana’s rural northern communities, where safe water remains a daily struggle.

 

Source: ghanawatchonline.com/Salifu Adam Jabu/0546062832