The Talensi District Assembly has commissioned 25 newly drilled boreholes across beneficiary communities in the district, bringing relief to residents who for years endured long daily treks in search of safe drinking water.
The boreholes, funded through the MP’s share of the District Assemblies Common Fund, are aimed at ending the hardship faced by women and schoolchildren who previously relied on unsafe wells and distant water sources. Before the intervention, many communities depended on wells dug decades ago, now unsafe due to algae build-up on their walls, while others crossed streams during the rainy season to fetch water from neighbouring communities.
Speaking during the commissioning exercise, John Millim Naabwomya, District Chief Executive for Talensi, said the project forms part of the Assembly’s allocation of ten percent of the Common Fund dedicated to water provision.
“I have been going around the whole day with my Honourable Member of Parliament for Talensi to commission a number of boreholes that we have drilled for the communities,” he said. “So far, there are about 25 boreholes, aside from five additional mechanised boreholes for some institutions in the district. This is the Assembly’s allocation from the Common Fund, not the MP’s share.”
Mr. Naabwomya described the impact of the project as deeply emotional, noting the spontaneous celebrations that greeted the commissioning teams. “In many of the places we visited, people started dancing just by seeing us arrive, even without music being played. That tells you how critical the water situation was for them,” he said.
He added that the lack of potable water had severely affected daily life and education in the district. “There are places where teachers told me that when children leave class to fetch drinking water after meals, they never return to class. In other communities, people wake up early in the morning and abandon all economic activities just to look for water. The relief they have received today is unimaginable.”
The DCE said the project reflects government’s broader development agenda in the district. “This tells you that the reset agenda initiated by His Excellency John Dramani Mahama is on course here in Talensi,” he stated.
The Member of Parliament for Talensi, Daniel Dung Mahama, said the provision of the 25 boreholes fulfilled a key promise made to constituents. According to him, the boreholes were carefully distributed across all 23 electoral areas, with priority given to communities most in need.
“When we started touring the district, we realised that many communities simply did not have water,” he said. “In some places, people crossed to other communities during the dry season, and during the rainy season, they relied on streams nearby. We sat down with the DCE and agreed that the boreholes should go to places where the need was most urgent.”
Mr. Mahama said follow-up visits confirmed that the boreholes had been sited appropriately. “As we went around, it was clear that all the areas selected genuinely needed water. This is just the beginning. We are going to do more,” he assured.
On maintenance, the MP stressed the importance of community ownership to ensure sustainability. He explained that communities are encouraged to contribute towards minor repairs, while the Assembly and the MP’s office step in when maintenance costs are high. “Last year and even early this year, we maintained several boreholes across Talensi,” he noted.
Looking ahead, Mr. Mahama disclosed plans to expand water infrastructure beyond domestic use. “We are planning to site mechanised boreholes that will support dry-season farming. This is a project we are actively working on so that, in the next dry season, people can use these facilities for irrigation,” he said.
Beneficiary communities include Awaradoone, Balungu, Yinduri, Yamsuk, Baare-Nandoya and Wakii. Assembly members from some of the communities expressed excitement about the intervention, saying the daily struggle to access potable water would now be a thing of the past. They pledged to work with residents to properly maintain the boreholes to ensure they serve their purpose for many years to come.
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