The government of Ghana has tasked its minister in-charge of water and sanitation to investigate the cause of water shortages in some parts of the country.
The Ministry of Environment, Water and Sanitation upon the directive has begun a nationwide tour to major water treatment plants in the country.
The sector minister last Tuesday visited the Nsawam and Weija Water Treatment Plants in the Eastern and Greater Accra regions.
The tour was to inspect operational activities of the plants and inquire into reports of illegal activities along the sources of raw water supply to the plants.
Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah was accompanied by officials from her ministry and key staff of the Ghana Water Company Limited ( GWCL).
The minister first visited the Nsawam Water Treatment Plant at Nsawam in the Eastern region.
Here, the Densu River is the main source of raw water supply to the treatment plant.
Management of the plant told the minister that the plant had to be shut down early this month.
This management explained was due to the shallow level of the river at the time.
Experts indicated the level of the Densu River during the beginning of the year was below the minimum extraction level of the plant.
Management pointed out that impacts of illegal activities at the buffer zones of the river have reduced the minimum extraction level from 2.2 meters to 1.3 meters.
Management of Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) said the current level of the Densu River greatly affect the cost of production.
The Managing Director of GWCL, Ing. Dr. Clifford Abdallah Braimah said the poor quality of the raw water source demands more use of chemicals during treatment.
This he indicate affect the quality of water produced and increase tariffs of customers.
The Minister in a brief statement cautioned residents to disengage in all forms of activities along the buffer zones of the river.
Hon. Dapaah observed that farming and illegal logging close to the buffer zones cause great harm to both quantity and quality of water sources.
The Minister retreated strict observance of a 100 meter buffer on both sides of any river in the country.
Cecilia Abena Dapaah indicated that water sources are much likely do dry up and be polluted if vegetation cover on the buffer zones is destroyed.
She said her ministry will collaborate with the Forestry Commission and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to prevent further encroachment on the river’s buffer zones.
She also said serious afforestation exercise will be undertaken along the immediate demarcated operational areas of the Nsawam Water Treatment Plant to restore degraded buffer.
Hon. Abena Dapaah commended management and staff of the Nsawam Water Treatment Plant for keeping the plant functional despite the many challenges.
Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah then visited the Weija Treatment Plant in the Ga South District in the Greater Accra region.
Among the many challenges that threaten sustainable water supply from the Weija Dam is encroachment around the dam’s demarcated zones.
Buildings are springing up very close to the dam with no regards to limits.
Sand wining activities is also causing serious damage to the vegetation cover of the Densu River.
During the Minister’s visit, the entourage sighted excavators and trucks winning sand close to the dam.
The Sector Minister ordered an immediate halt of the illegal operations and confiscated keys if the excavators and trucks.
The Minister disclosed that the Weija Treatment Plant is the source of water supply for over 1.5 million people in the western part of Accra and need to protect it at all costs.
She said government is looking for funding to rehabilitate and expand the treatment plant to take care of growing population over the next 20 to 25 years.
Hon. Cecilia Dapaah indicated that the tour has given the ministry an insight into happenings on the ground.
She assured the public and management of the Ghana Water Company Limited that her ministry will come out with deterrent measures to protect water bodies in the country.
