Water crisis hits UDS Nyankpala Campus, affects students’ health and academic performance

Students of the University for Development Studies (UDS) Nyankpala campus have expressed concerns over the prolonged water crisis in the school and the Nyankpala community, which has significantly affected their lives and health.

Speaking to Xtreme Media Online on Monday, March 31, the students revealed that some of them have been diagnosed with typhoid and skin conditions, which they attribute to the poor quality of the water they have been using.

According to the students, vendors have been selling water on campus, which has become their primary source of water since the shortage began. However, they suspect that this water is untreated, as they have visibly noticed particles and living organisms that make it unfit for consumption.

“The water we have been taking on the campus here has living organisms inside, and if you are to take the water, you have to boil the water before the living organisms will be dead,” a student of UDS, Bernard Subam, told Xtreme Media Online’s Elvis Mwintome.

Charity is also a student of UDS, and she shared a similar condition of the water they purchase from vendors.

“Sometimes when they pour the water in your container, let’s say an hour or later when you check, the water will change. So using it to cook is very dangerous,” she said

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The students explained that the water shortage has affected their lecture attendance, as they often miss lectures due to the lack of water for personal hygiene, which is affecting their educational performance.

“Sometimes you wake up in the morning and want to go to class, but you don’t have water to bathe. Due to that, some students refuse to attend lectures,” Azure said.

Zenab also shared her experience as far as the water crisis is concerned. She shared how frustrating the crisis has been, noting that she spends too much money to purchase water, which is draining her financially.

“The water crisis is really a headache, because mostly if you plan to spend 50 cedis in a month, at the end of the month you will spend almost half of the money buying water. Let’s say I’m spending 100 cedis a month, and I’m using almost 50 cedis buying water; at the end of the day, 50 cedis won’t be enough for other things,” Zenab said.

For Zenab, she has not experienced any health issue so far, but she explained that some of her friends have been diagnosed with typhoid several times, which she believes is as a result of the poor condition of the water they consume.

“I have a classmate that usually he gets admitted to the university clinic, and when they check, he is diagnosed with typhoid several times. I think the water crisis is one of the causes of this,” she said

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They disclosed that in May 2024, the Students Representative Council (SRC) of the UDS, Nyankpala Campus, launched a water project that was expected to tackle the water crisis in the university, but till today, the crisis has not been solved.

They therefore call on the management of the university and the government to come to their aid and provide treated water for their consumption.