Boost For Potable Water Supply

Work on extensive water projects have begun throughout the country to increase access to potable water and control water-borne diseases such as guinea worm.
In line with the projects, 2,400 boreholes, 1,600 hand-dug wells, 54 town pipe systems, 52 small community pipe systems and other interventions are being undertaken to improve water supply in various communities throughout the country.

Furthermore, the government has embarked upon water supply extension projects in various parts of the country, including the Tamale, Cape Coast, Kwanyako, Kpong, Weija, Sunyani, Wa, Koforidua and Adenta water expansion projects.

The Government Spokesperson on Social Services, Mr Kofi Amponsah-Bediako, who made this known to the Daily Graphic in Accra, expressed optimism that “in the next few months the projects will bring good results and many towns will enjoy substantial potable water.”

He said the dredging of the River Densu was meant to impact positively on the water quality of the Weija Reservoir and also reduce the cost of water treatment at the Weija Water Works.

The water sanitation in some parts of the country, such as Tamale, Cape Coast and Adenta, has been very crucial in recent years and according to Mr Kofi Amponsah-Bediako, the interventions were meant to put the government on top of the situation, adding that, that underlined its remarkable achievements over the past six years.

He said the government was also renovating a number of old irrigation schemes in order to create about 1,900 hectares of arable land for the cultivation of food and cash crops. In addition, new dams were being constructed to help improve agricultural productivity.

Mr Kofi Amponsah-Bediako also pointed at the housing sector as another area where the government had made a huge impact, citing the Affordable Housing Units Projects.

Under the project, the government intends to build 20,000 housing units every year over the next five years, bringing the total number of housing units to 100,000 during the period.

“If we'd been doing this consistently in the past 20 years, I'm sure people in the public sector or government workers would not have had serious problems with regard to accommodation,” the government spokesperson indicated.

Asked whether the increasing price of cement was likely to impact negatively on the project, Mr Kofi Amponsah-Bediako responded in the affirmative, but was quick to add that it was in recognition of that likelihood that the President requested that management of Ghana Cement Company (GHACEM) address the situation.

On land administration, he said the government had identified 50,000 acres of land in Accra and other parts of the country to be used for infrastructural development.

Mr Kofi Amponsah-Bediako said the government had also been committed to improving road infrastructure to open up the country.

He mentioned the Tetteh Quarshie-Madina road, the Achimota-Ofankor bypass, the Nsawam bypass, the Accra-Kumasi, Accra-Cape Coast, Accra-Aflao, Afram Plains, Wa-Lawra-Nandom, Yendi-Bimbilla, Bole-Bamboi, Bawdie-Asankragwa, SefwiWiawso-Akontombra and Techiman-Wenchi road projects as some of the major developments taking place as far as road construction was concerned.