Construction of Phase III of the Five Districts Water Supply Project in five Districts of the Volta Region is set to commence.
President Akufo-Addo, who cut the sod on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, at Adaklu-Anfoe, in the Adaklu District, said the Project would provide potable water to Central Tongu, North Tongu, Adaklu-Anyigbe, Agotime-Ziope and Ho West Districts.
“It is gratifying to note that this project will provide potable water to 89,107 people in one hundred and eighty-three (183) beneficiary communities, such as Dadoboe, Mawoekpor, Mafi Zongo, Mafi Kutime, Mafi Kumase, Avedo Bakpa, Kpoviadzi, Adidome, Kanikope, Bagalikope and Manase Zongo,” the President added.
The €11.5 million Phase III water project, financed by a concessionary credit facility from the Raiffeisenbank International of Vienna, Austria, will transport treated water to the 183 communities through 132 kilometres of transmission and distribution pipelines.
Other key components of the Project include the installation of booster stations, elevated concrete tanks, health and hygiene education and environmental and social safeguards.
When completion, the Water Project will increase the water coverage for the Volta Region by some 5.6%. it is also expected to reduce time spent in the search for water, “thereby, relieving, especially, women and children of this burden; minimise the affliction of water-borne diseases; and maximise the social and health benefits of clean, safe and reliable drinking 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.
“As a result, I expect that, with the availability of potable water in these communities, investors will take advantage of Government’s Flagship Programmes, such as the “One District, One Factory”, to establish small and medium scale factories to exploit the natural resources of the area, create employment for the youth, and stimulate the growth and development of the local economy, the President stated.
President Akufo-Addo assured residents of Adaklu-Anfoe, and residents of the 183 beneficiary communities that his Government would not relent in its efforts to increase access to water for all, a 2016 NPP Manifesto commitment, which remains a key.
“Whilst the government is committed to living up to its social responsibility, by providing social services like this water project to the people of Ghana, we expect beneficiary communities to contribute their quota towards ensuring the sustainability of these services, by helping to protect the infrastructure so they can last long,” he noted.
The President urged the Community Water and Sanitation Agency, the implementing Agency of the Project, to ensure timely completion of all detailed designs and also to ensure that the project construction is carried out per the required standards and specifications.
“I assure residents in this Region that Government has plans to increase further water coverage. Phase IV of this project will be implemented soon for the benefit of communities in the remaining two districts — North Tongu and Ho West, through the same funding source,” he said.
Rex Mainoo Yeboah, ISD
