WRI schools Police Officers on water regulations

Water Research Institute (WRI)

Accra July 8, GNA - Dr Joseph Addo Ampofo, Director of Water Research Institute (WRI), on Tuesday underscored the need for stakeholders to help enforce the laws and regulations on the country's water bodies in order to preserve them for unborn generations.

Dr Ampofo said the country has laws and regulations for the management of water bodies, yet its enforcement were becoming difficult because of inadequate staff of the institute.

Speaking at a day's workshop for 30 Police Investigators in Accra, Dr Ampofo urged stakeholders to police the nation's river bodies so that communities would tap the full benefits associated with them.

Available laws and regulation of water resources are the Water Resource Commissions Act, Act 522 of the 1996 and LI 1692 of 2001.Under the Act, the granting of Water Use Permits was considered a tool to regulate water abstraction and control of pollution of water bodies in the country.

The workshop seeks among others to empower the Police to enforce the regulations and laws on water resources.

The Director of WRI was happy that the Police would assist in investigations and prosecution of suspects who violate the laws and regulations on water bodies.

According to him water bodies were worshipped and protected by communities and its inhabitants in the olden days.

That he said prevented people from embarking on illegal activities such as galamsey operations, installation of water pumps in river bodies, throwing of rubbish in rivers by inhabitants around them.

Dr Ampofo, however, regretted that because of religion and education people did not care about these water bodies and are polluting them daily.

Mr Eric Muala, Monitoring Officer, Water Resources Commission (WRC) said the impact of water problems include several man hours used in search of potable water, increase in water borne diseases, reduction in crop yields and increase in treating water.

Mr Muala said the Water Resource Commission has therefore adopted strategic Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) approach which would promote the right amount of water being used for various activities.

According to him the WRC has also managed to relocate a dumping site at Nsawam thereby protecting the River Densu.

He said the WRC would ensure that District Assemblies enact laws to protect water bodies as well as promote tree planting and encourage proper disposal of liquid and solid waste.

GNA EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE