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The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources was questioned by Hon. Nicholas Amankwah, the Member of Parliament for the Wassa Amenfi East Constituency in the Western Region, regarding the measures the Ministry has implemented to resolve the water crisis in his constituency.
On Monday, November 13, 2023, when questioning the Minister on the floor of Parliament, the Amenfi East MP made the suggestion that some citizens of the municipal capital lack access to potable water since there is not enough pipe-borne water available.
Consequently, the MP asked Hon. Freda Prempeh, the sector minister, when the government planned to expand the water supply to include the Wassa Akropong settlement.
“Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources what plans the Ministry has to rehabilitate and expand the Wassa Akropong Water System to cater for the increased water needs of the Wassa Akropong Township. I thank you Mr. Speaker” he asked the Minister.
In response to the questions, the sector Minister, Hon Freda Prempeh mentioned that, the Water System in Wassa Akropong township was completed under the European Union funded project in May 2010 to cater for a population of 8,627 in the area.
According to the Minister, “the system is currently based on the abstraction of water from one borehole and that, the water system had 14 stand pipes with 20 functioning, 345 household have already been connected” she said,
However, the population according to the minister has ballooned to 11,892 resulting to increased water needs due to water rationing in the municipal capital.
Freda Prempeh said, the Ghana Water Company took over the management of the water system in July and carried out rehabilitation of the existing water tanks as well as replacing leaking distribution pipes to stabilize water supply.
However, in the short term, she said, the GWCL is in the process of mechanizing boreholes to improve water production and supply to areas of need.
She gave an assurance that the Ghana Water Company will again embark on exercise to replace old pipes, rehabilitate water tanks, increase distribution network and drill new boreholes to increase water supply in Wassa Amenfi East.
The minister was questioned further by the unsatisfied member of parliament, who demanded a schedule for the processing of mechanized boreholes for the good people of Amenfi East.
Hon. Freda Prempeh responded by emphasizing that the ministry will be mechanizing boreholes over an extended period of time; hence, she is unable to guarantee when the ministry will meet its commitments.
The sector minister claims that her office is working to secure financing so that the full process may begin.
Consequently, the minister was forthright about the ministry’s willingness to focus attention and resources to increase his people’ access to drinkable water as quickly as possible.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com/Kaakyire Kwasi Afari
