Minister engages WASH groups to improve water supply

On May 23, 2019

Madam Cecelia Abena Dapaah, the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, on Wednesday engaged working groups in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Sector to discuss ways of improving water supply to all parts of the country.

The meeting created an avenue for participants to review the Sector’s performance and develop strategies to improve upon outcomes.

It was also expected to assess growth made by the Government and development partners in achieving set targets for water and sanitation towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Madam Dapaah said, the meeting would further facilitate the coordination of the Government and development partners to ensure efficiency in the implementation of the Sector’s strategy.

Mr Patrick Yaw Boamah, the Deputy Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, said the Government is embarking on projects that are expected to provide water to more than 1.96 million people as part of efforts to alleviate poverty.

“The Government has embarked on numerous projects to ensure that water is supplied to every enclave of the country. These include the Acqua Africa Project, which would provide water to 450 stations to support over 150 communities in the Ashanti, Volta and Greater Accra regions,” he said.

He said the Government is also working on five small town water systems worth €11.8 million, which would also provide water to residents in the Adaklu area.

Madam Adjoa Paintsil, the Director of the Environmental Quality Department of the Water Resources Commission, said Ghana needed to strengthen its trans-boundary water resources by considering contemporary, global, regional conventions and protocols appropriate for Ghana.

Ghana has only 41 water monitors, which is not enough, she said, and advocated that they should be increased to 81 to ensure efficiency in water provision.

She said the country needs proper water data in order to develop and better manage its ground water resources to improve water innovation.

Source: GNA