CWSA constructs 1,705 boreholes to boost water supply coverage

Fumesua (Ash), May 12, GNA - The Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) has over the past two years constructed 1,705 boreholes fitted with hand pumps and 70 piped schemes to boost the nation's potable water supply coverage.

Mr. Worlanyo Kwadjo Siabe, the Chief Executive, who announced this said, it additionally, rehabilitated 336 boreholes and seven piped schemes, during the period.

Addressing a five-day biennial review conference of the Agency at Fumesua in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality, he said 12,756 washrooms were also built.

For this year, the Agency, has been allocated GH¢30,558,111.54 in the budget of which 73 per cent is targeted at capital investment.

The meeting was held under the theme: 'Rural water and sanitation services provision: current role of CWSA, gaps and the way forward for effective and sustainable delivery'.

This comes amid the decline of donor inflows and the government's growing shift towards projects which are self-financing - developments posing huge challenge to the sustainability of the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sub-sector.

Mr. Siabe expressed deep concern about the poor management of the facilities and said things needed to radically change.

'Many of these facilities, being run under the community ownership and management system, had broken down and waiting to be rehabilitated only to go through another cycle of mismanagement.'

He underlined the need to consider other strategies, options and policy changes that would utilize the capacity of the Agency built over the years to salvage the situation.

Mr. Siabe complained about high staff attrition, poor working conditions and inadequate logistics and pledged to lead reforms to strengthen the performance of the Agency.

They were determined to work hard and with passion to reposition the CWSA to steer and keep the sub-sector on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG-6).

GNA

By Florence Afriyie Mensah, GNA