Four towns in the Tamale Metropolis in the Northern Region are suffering from a shortage of portable drinking water, which has led to conflicts between people and animals over water from a dam near Kukuko.

The settlements of Kukuo, Tuutingli, Koblimahigu, and Jakarayili rely on the Kukuo dam, built several decades ago to help with their water shortage, which is rapidly drying up and turning milky.

With a population of about 7,000, the hamlet has struggled with its water supply for several decades, forcing its citizens to use contaminated water for household needs.

Some locals had to hike for around three kilometers in order to get to the untreated, milky water.

The only water source in the area for both humans and animals is the dam.

I saw that the water was milky and unusable during the Daily Graphic’s visit to the dam, which made it extremely challenging to treat before use.

They did not designate any area expressly for water collection; therefore, some women, children, and students were standing at their knees inside the dam to retrieve water.