President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commissioned five Piped Water Supply Systems under the Water Supply Improvement Project (WSIP) of the Ghana-Spain Debt Swap Development Programme (DSDP) at Amedzofe, in the Ho West District of the Volta Region.
The Water Supply Improvement Project would be implemented in the Ho Municipality and three Districts of the Region—Ho West, Agortime Ziope, and Adaklu-Anyigbe, at $3.78 million.
Beneficiary communities include Amedzofe, Ziope, Akpokope/Batume Junction, Matse, Dzolo Gbogame, and surrounding communities.
The Ghana-Spain Debt Swap for Development Programme (DSDP) is one of the interventions instituted by the government to ensure the continuous provision of potable water to the rural and peri-urban populations of the country.
Speaking after the commissioning of the project on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, President Akufo-Addo said the WSIP had expanded access to water and ensured sustainable water supply and sanitation services in 36 rural communities.
Besides, the WSIP has constructed 18 piped water supply systems, which is expected to serve a total population of 69,000 people in all the districts.
The remaining 13 water systems under the Project, the President indicated, are at various stages of completion and are expected to be completed in December 2020, for the beneficiary communities also to enjoy potable water.
Commending the Chiefs and people of Amedzofe for preserving a nearby spring which the Water System at the town draws its raw water from, President Akufo-Addo said “I am expectant that other communities across the country will emulate this worthy example, and protect our water bodies, to ensure the availability of water.”
The government, President Akufo-Addo assured, would continue to create an enabling environment, through the provision of social infrastructure, to attract investment to our rural communities.
He said in other to reassure the government’s commitment to increasing access to potable water for all, funding has been secured for the commencement of work on the Rural Communities and Small Towns Water Supply Project, also known as the Aqua Africa Water Project.
The Project will construct 150 water point sources and 12 small-town water systems to serve some 588 communities across the Volta, Oti, Greater Accra, Ashanti and Eastern Regions. Once completed, the project will benefit some 282,000 people.
President Akufo-Addo, thus, urged the inhabitants of the beneficiary communities to help maintain the water infrastructure.
Rex Mainoo Yeboah, ISD
