Fresh banter looms as GNFS names GWCL for non-functionality of fire hydrants

Ghanaians may soon witness a fresh banter between the Ghana National Fire Service(GNFS) and the Ghana Water Company Limited(GWCL) as the former has accused the latter of failing to provide water for these hydrants.

This accusation comes days after the Ghana Water Company Limited accused the Fire Service of selling water from hydrants meant for firefighting.

This squabble over fire hydrants seems to have stemmed from the conflict between the two service providers over who is to blame for the challenges met during the firefighting at Makola last week Monday.

The head of Public Relations at the Fire Service, Ellis Robinson Okoe, speaking to Samuel Eshun on the non-functionality of the fire hydrants blamed the Ghana Water Company Limited for inefficiencies in “managing the fire hydrants.”

He said: “On every water bill, one percent is charged for fire hydrants to access water. So, if there is a problem like this, GWCL should be blamed for it. This is because the 1 percent paid on our water bill is meant to manage the hydrants for us to be able to get water for firefighting. The GWCL limited is mandated to maintain these fire hydrants.

"Technically it is supposed to be managed so that we will have access to water but we have taken that additional responsibility to go round and that is why you see this data in the newspapers.”

While he admitted that the GWCL may be facing some challenges in the distribution of water, he charged the Company to rectify the issue as soon as possible.

Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) says only 650 fire hydrants out of the 1,210 in nine regions in the country are serviceable.

The remaining 558 fire hydrants are either non-functional or had been sealed due to challenges, including low pressure, obstruction by illegal structures and others buried under sand and some facilities.

Greater Accra Region has 295 fire hydrants out of which 169 are functional and 126 non-functional, Tema, has 337 hydrants from which 188 are unserviceable and 149 serviceable; Volta Region has 72 fire hydrants out of which 32 are serviceable and 40 unserviceable.

In the Savannah Region, only one out of the four hydrants are serviceable, Oti Region has 10 fire hydrants, six serviceable and four unserviceable, Eastern Region has 125 with 72 serviceable and 52 unserviceable, Ashanti Region has 213 fire hydrants, out of which 97 are serviceable and 116 unserviceable, Western and Western North regions have 154 fire hydrants with only 85 serviceable.