Work begins on $120m water project
Work has begun on three water projects, estimated at US$120 million, for the people of Kumawu and Konongo in the Ashanti Region and the Kwahu Ridge in the Eastern Region.
The government secured a mixed credit package from Messrs Bank Hapoalim of Israel to fund the three projects, deemed as priority water supply projects in the urban sector.
Finance Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffour, was assisted by the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Alban S.K. Bagbin, to perform the sod-cutting ceremony at Kumawu.
yesterday’s ceremony was attended by chiefs and people of the beneficiary communities, as well as their Members of Parliament.
Also in attendance were the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu, and the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo.
More than 50 communities are expected to benefit from the projects, which involve the rehabilitation and expansion of the Kwahu, Konongo and Kumawu water supply systems.
The projects are being executed by a construction firm from Israel, Tahal Engineering and is expected to be completed in 24 months.
Reliable water supply has eluded the people in the beneficiary communities for many years and the three projects are aimed at improving potable water supply to the beneficiary communities.
When completed, the projects are expected to enhance business opportunities, mainly the tourism and food processing industries, as well as enhance the social and health lives of the people.
Addressing the people, Mr Bagbin said, “I hope the hearts and souls of the beneficiary communities will be born again on completion of the projects,” he said.
He said it was the New Patriotic Party (NPP) regime which made the effort and started the projects, while the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government was putting “the pieces together to make it whole”.
He expressed the hope that the projects would serve as a catalyst for development in the beneficiary communities.
Mr Bagbin warned that the government would not tolerate any obstruction or shoddy work from any of the sub-contractors and urged the contractors to do a good work.
“We will take those who would want to sabotage the onward movement of the country to task,” he cautioned.
He explained that the projects were expected to increase service coverage on the Kwahu Ridge, Konongo and Kumawu and their surrounding towns and villages and also help maximise revenue from potable water.
The Kumawu Water Supply System relied on the Ongwam River as its source of supply. Over the last decade, the river has been drying up, making water supply very unreliable.
Mr Bagbin explained that a completely new system was to be constructed to serve Kumawu and 26 other communities, adding that the project would entail the abstraction of raw water from the Afram River at Aframso.
A low lifting pumping station was to be installed at the source to transport raw water to the treatment plant to be sited at Aframso.
The treated water would then be pumped through two separate transmission lines to Kwaman to a tank at Aframso. The capacity of the tanks is expected to be 440,000 gallons of water per day.
Mr Bagbin listed the beneficiary communities as Kumawu, Besoro, Abotanso, Bodomase, Worase, Sekyere, Banko, Wuoso, Awonga, Asuafu, Nsuta, Temate, Amaansu, Kyebi, Atonsu, Dadease, Oyoko, Beposo, Asekyerewa, Bodwease, Kwaman and other settlements along the transmission lines.
On Konongo Water Supply Rehabilitation, Mr Bagbin said the total plant capacity would be increased to 3,520,000 gallons per day from 990,000 gallons per day.
He said the scope of work would be in two parts and would involve the rehabilitation and expansion of the system to meet demand up to 2024.
For the Kwahu Ridge Project, he said the capacity was to be increased from 194,000 gallons to 3,452,000 gallons per day.
Source: Daily Graphic