The dearth of water during the dry season push them to scoop  water from dry water bodies, only to meet a harrowing and repugnant sight that would prevent them from using the water found. “Mr Speaker, the people in the Kulungugu of my constituency, in search of water during the dry season, scoop the water bodies only to find hair and bones when they do not know where they come from,” Ms Laadi Ayii Ayamba, Member of Parliament (MP) for the Constituency, in the Upper East Region told the House on Wednesday.

She was contributing to a statement, made by Mr Joseph Kofi Addah, Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, to mark the 2017 International World Water Day celebrated on March 22. The day, designated by the United Nations since 1993, is to focus global attention on the importance of water.

All nation states are required by this call, to devote the Day, appropriate within their national contexts, to undertake activities related to water conservation and development of water resources.

This year’s celebration, on which another statement was made by Mr Rudolf Nsorwine Amenga-Etego, Deputy Ranking Member for Parliament’s Works and Housing Committee, to mark the day, was on the theme: “Waste Water-Why Waste Water,” with focus on waste  water and reusing water.

Ms Ayamba, and other MPS who made contributions minced no words in calling for effective measures to improve access to clean and safe water as well improved mechanisms for water storage. The contributors were unanimous in calling for effective measures to halt the threat of illegal mining nicknamed “galamsey” which has been a bane in the management of water bodies across the country.

Mr Adda said: “Mr Speaker, the United Nations (UN) has since 1993 designated the day 22 of March of every year, as International World Water Day to focus global attention on the importance of water. He identified some of the water issues in Ghana inadequate water supply, high water investment costs, affordability and sustainability, the need for a thorough and deep understanding of issues of climate change, and the drying up of river bodies and waterways, which were compounded by the diversion of water courses for farming, galamsey and its attendant negative effects.

Other challenges are the depleting of aquifers and underground water courses, and issues of water quality and treatment costs to prevent construction of associated water borne diseases. He said the challenge for the country’s governance system was to take account of the multiple aspects, rules and benefits of water at the heart of decision making for all water dependent sectors, and urged Ghanaians “to make it our business to be concerned and promote sustainable practices in the realm of water”.

For his part, Mr Amenga-Etego, who is also the MP for Chiana/ Paga, said the Government must pass laws to protect the rights of citizens to potable water and good sanitation.  “It is my candid opinion that this current august parliament cannot and must not continue to disregard the overwhelming evidence in favour of a legislation recognising the right to water and sanitation,” he said.

He said such a right only required the State to ensure that every citizen has “access to services that comply with standards of availability, acceptability, accessibility, affordability, quality, as well as best practices found in Sweden, Norway and South Africa. “I would like to also call on parliament to urgently request the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation through the Water Resources Commission to enforce the laws that protect our water bodies from hazardous waste, pollution, and call on government and all citizens to conserve and recycle water for use,” he said.

Mr Vincent Sowah Odotei, MP for La Dadekotopon, informed the House that tap water had not flowed in the Constituency in the past two weeks. He called on the Ghana Water Company to improve the water distribution across country, and expressed the need for legislation against building on water ways.