Ghana’s water coverage to hit 80% by 2015

The President of Ghana, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, has expressed optimism that in view of the many interventions his government is making in the country’s water sector, coverage will increase by 18% in the next three years.

Delivering his 4th State of the Nation Address at Ghana’s Parliament House on Thursday, February 16, 2012, he said; “The many interventions that we have made are intended to ensure, that by 2015 we would have raised the current level of water from 62% to 80%.”

He listed some of the interventions made as, the Kpong Water Expansion Project, which is expected to add 40 million gallons of water daily to the Accra-Tema Metropolis when completed.

The President also stated that in fulfillment of the pledge of his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), in its manifesto, to build and expand a number of water plants nationwide, many boreholes have been constructed.

“Since 2009, we have constructed hundreds of boreholes fitted with hand pumps, hand dug wells fitted with hand pumps and also piped water systems throughout the country. Several others have been rehabilitated,” he said, though he did not indicate how many in the past year or in what regions they have been constructed.

President Mills however disclosed that he has directed that 20,000 boreholes should be constructed in the country, though no details were given as to how the borehole construction is to be carried out nationwide and the number to be constructed per community, district or region.

“I have directed the Water Ministry to ensure that over the next four years at least we produce, we construct as many as 20,000 boreholes,” he said, adding, “The Government has absorbed the 5% contribution by rural communities towards the capital cost of constructing water in rural communities.”

By Edmund Smith-Asante