The sea is eating our land - Tetteh Enyo

Accra, May 16, GNA - Mr Alex Narh Tettey-Enyo, Member of Parliament for Ada, on Tuesday said the sea is eroding the shoreline of Ada at such a fast rate that many of the buildings would have been destroyed in the years to come. "Now` the sea is on the verge of washing away the District Assembly block and steps should be taken immediately to save it."

The Member had asked the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Hackman Owusu Agyemang, when the integrated Sea Defence Project proposed for the Ada coastline in the 2005 annual budget would take-off.

Mr Owusu Ayemang said the Ministry was liaising with the Royal Dutch Embassy for financial support to implement a more lasting strategy and solution to the Ada Sea erosion problem.

Under a Dutch government funded programme, the Ministry hired technical expertise to do a thorough feasibility studies into the coastline protection at Ada and the entire national coastal stretch.

He said the findings warranted the protection of the five-kilometre shoreline from sea erosion, which would in turn allow the development of salt production, fishing and tourism.

The Minister said the idea to prevent the formation of sandbar at the Volta estuary to ensure regular tidal motion to enter the Volta Lake and to reduce the incidence of bilharzia infection, would also enhance recreational and swimming activities, the findings said.

He said two options, which were the beach nourishment over the critical five-kilometre stretch at the cost of 15.3 million Euros and the construction of groin fields using armour rocks (big boulders) with initial beach nourishment at the cost of 60 million Euros, were proposed.

According to the Minister, the second option, which was more expensive, ideal and long term in nature, was chosen. Later, the Minister announced that funds for the construction of a water supply system that would feed North Tongu, Dangbe East and West districts had been secured. He said government of Ghana, DANIDA, the Danish development Agency and DFID, the British development Agency contributed towards the fund.

The Minister said actual construction would begin in early June and was expected to be completed by the end of 2008.

Mr Alfred Abayateye, Member of Parliament for Sege, had also asked the Minister when the project, which is supposed to provide portable water to the Sege constituency, would start.