The dam, initially built in 1974 for irrigation and later as a source for the Baifikrom Waterworks, has a water level of one metre.

The dam, at full capacity, holds water up to six metres and has an acceptable minimum level of three metres.

The Central Regional Manager of the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA), Ebenezer Kwami said at 0.86 metres, the water level would be at its 'dead stock" where it cannot be pumped at all.

"At that level, it would be difficult to take in water for treatment," he stated.

Water shortages

The situation has led to water shortages in communities along the irrigation dam at Baifikrom near Mankessim in the Central Region.

Officials of the Ghana Water Company and the GDA are deliberating on effective ways to save the dam which is now at a critically low level.

The Central Regional office of the Public Utility Regulatory Commission set up an engagement among the Ghana Water Company (GWCL), the GIDA and the communities with support from the Mfantseman Municipal Assembly to find lasting solutions to the encroachment of the dam's buffer lands.

Eight communities in the dam's catchment area, whose activities affect the dam's operations and subsequently the GWCL's operations were engaged by officials from the stakeholder institutions last Wednesday.

He said the use of fertiliser by some farmers had also led to algae growth and other water weeds in the dam, affecting the water quality.

He said other residents also fetched water from the dam with tankers for sale, while others had built on the pipelines.

He indicated that also worrying was the fact that the Okyi River was also almost dried up due to negative activities along its banks.

He said the institutions would work with security agencies to ensure that perpetrators were brought to book if cautions to stop the encroachment were not heeded.

The Regional Quality Assurance Manager of the GWCL, Nicholas Okyere, for his part, said the state of the dam and the Okyi River had created a lot of problems for the GWCL operations which was now producing 70 per cent of its production.

The regent of Baifikrom, Nana Abakah, urged the institutions concerned to work to dredge the dam, saying it had not been dredged in its almost 50 years of existence.

The regent Enyan Maim, Nana Kow Odziadoa also called for further engagement to ensure the dam was sustained.

The fora urged the companies to consistently engage the communities to protect the dam.

Complaints

The Regional Manager of the PURC, Kesewaa Apenteng-Addo,said there were several complaints from Mankessim and its environs and took the opportunity to create a platform for engagement and added that the PURC was hopeful the engagement would be fruitful.