A radio discussion triggered by Pure FM, a private-owned community radio stationed at Navrongo, has confirmed in a mid-morning show ‘Pure Morning Drive,’ that most of the major dugouts referred to as dams in the Kasena-Nankana Central and West Municipal Assemblies have dried up.
In his introduction, programme host, Tanga M. Kamara, lamented the consequences of dried dugouts at Navrongo Central in areas such as Doba, Namolo, Nayagenia, Pungu-dembaasenia, Pungu-wusungu, etc; and at Kasena-Nankana West communities at Paga-badungu, Kajelo-Kongo.
He added that agriculture, construction works, domestic activities and livestock in the affected communities rely on stored water in these dugouts for supply to irrigate crops, serve as drinking water for humans and livestock, sourced for other domestic uses, for building and road construction activities.
“The dugouts serve as source of water for irrigation to farmers engaged in dry season vegetable gardening. Also, the dugouts serve as source of water for livestock raised in the affected communities,” the host said. “On record, several of these dugouts dried up even before the end of the year. Our community visits also revealed, that the scanty water supply affected the yield of most vegetables such as pepper production, after the first harvest,” he spoke in Kasem.
Contributions from callers who phoned in the programme gave various perspectives. Callers confirmed the observations shared by the host, with several suggestions. Some of the callers observed, that some of the operators of these gardens make daily contributions for maintenance or offered their services to de-silt the dugouts.
Averagely, each of the callers called for the assistance of local government representatives, especially the two MCEs of the two Municipal Assemblies, elected members of assemblies representing the various electoral areas and their Unit Committee Members. In their expectations, if the two MDAs and MCEs complement the efforts of the gardeners, it could go a long way to preserve and sustain the supply of good volume for the entire period of the dry season.
Some of the callers also lamented the escalating cost of agricultural inputs, particularly fertilizer, which had hit GHS600 per bag of 25kg. Weedicide which used to sell at GHS20 now sell at GHS50. In conclusion, the radio interaction pointed out, that when the major wet season sets in, which will offset increased demand for agricultural inputs, prices are likely to further go higher.
Navrongo is noted for its dry season gardening, especially tomatoes named after the town. In the past, dug wells served as a source of water during the dry season. As a result of a study concluded by Irrigation Development Authority, the Supreme Military Council government of General IK Acheampong initiated and commissioned the Tono Irrigation Dam project in 1976. Irrigation Company of the Upper East Region assumed management of the project. The operations of TID has since stalled for the past four years without any assigned reasons.
