The people of Asuosunso Bankrogya, a farming community in the Ejisu Municipality of the Ashanti Region, are once again stranded as torrential rains have turned their only access route into a dangerous barrier.

Each rainy season brings the same nightmare: the river that snakes through Bankrogya overflows its banks, cutting off farmers, traders, students, and the sick from accessing neighbouring towns. Without a bridge, residents say they are forced to risk their lives or wait helplessly until the water recedes.

“When the river floods, we can’t go anywhere,” lamented Akua Serwaa, a resident. “If someone needs a hospital urgently, they are stuck. We have lost lives because of this.”

The river, which once supplied the community with drinking water, is now polluted by illegal mining activities, locally known as galamsey. The contamination has forced families to trek more than three kilometres daily in search of clean water — a burden that falls heavily on women and children.

“Our children can’t go to school when it rains heavily. We also have to carry buckets for miles to fetch water because the river is dirty with chemicals,” said Kwame Owusu, a local farmer.

Despite being one of the area’s major cocoa-growing hubs, Bankrogya has received little infrastructural support. Community leaders argue that this neglect is unjust, considering their contribution to Ghana’s cocoa production.

Residents are not only pleading for a bridge but are also demanding boreholes for clean drinking water and a health facility to handle emergencies without the risk of being cut off.

“We have cocoa farms here. We help the country earn foreign exchange, yet we drink dirty water and have no clinic,” fumed Nana Kofi, an elder in the town. “We just want the government to remember us.”

The community has called on the Ejisu Municipal Assembly, the Ministry of Roads and Highways, and other relevant agencies to prioritise their plight before more lives are lost.

With the rainy season intensifying, locals say the need for a lasting solution is urgent. For now, every rainfall is a fresh reminder that for Bankrogya, being cut off is just one downpour away.