President Mahama commissions 12 borehole drilling machines

President John Dramani Mahama has commissioned 12 borehole water drilling machines fitted with state of the art equipment to enhance water supply across the country.

The machines are to be sent to all Regional Coordinating Councils to be accessed by rural communities noting that priority would be given to state institutions like hospitals, schools, colleges of education among others.

He said Ghanaians were already paying considerable amount for potable water, including patronizing very expensive “pure water” as alternatives, which poor rural residents did not even have sufficient access or the resources to patronize.

The drilling project, which is part of the government’s Better Ghana Agenda, is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Local Government, the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing and a private institution.

It is also expected to be carried out by the Build Engineers Regiment in collaboration with the Community Water and Sanitation Agency and the Ghana Water Company.

Highlighting the prospects towards water supply across the country, President Mahama said that coverage of rural water supply was improving considerably, but urban water supply and distribution continued to be a management challenge.

He urged all the institutions to present an application to the coordinating agency in order to have their boreholes drilled.

President Mahama was optimistic that the borehole machines would go a long way to resolve the water shortage issues in the country.

The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo said the issue of schools and other state institutions closing down due to water unavailability would be a thing of the past and urged all Ghanaians to support President Mahama in his quest to develop the country.

He said that it was the first time the country had taken delivery of these equipment, adding that the Indian assembled machines were tropicalized to withstand all weather conditions.

Mr. Enoch Tei Mensah, Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, urged the agencies to ensure that the machines were maintained effectively.

Source: GNA