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The lack of portable water supply in three communities in the Wassa Amenfi East Constituency in the Western Region has prompted Hon. Nicholas Amankwah, the Member of Parliament for the constituency, to call Cecilia Abena Dapaah, the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, to Parliament.
The Amenfi East MP claims that people of those Communities have been forced to scavenge for contaminated drinking water, subjecting them to health issues.
On Wednesday, 21, the MP known as “Home Boy” asked the sector minister, Madam Cecilia Abena Daapah, a question on the floor of the legislature. He said that the inhabitants had an issue with their water supply and required quick government action.
“Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources when Treatment Plants Units will be installed on the Small Town Water System Project located at Wassa Japa, Nananko and Abreshia in the Amenfi East Constituency to ensure provision of portable water for the residents.”
The sector minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah responding to the question mentioned that “the Japa Water System is a multi Community System serving Japa and Gyaamang Communities. It’s under the management of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency” she said.
Hon Cecilia Abena Dapaah added that “the Water System was completed in 2016, under the World Bank sustainable Rural Water supply project known as SRWSP with a design population of Nine thousand five hundred and seventeen”.
According to the minister, “the water system is based on the construction of water from two boreholes with the combined discharge of 22 cubic meters per hour and the storage of 150 cubic meter high level tank”.
In contrast, the Minister of Water and Sanitation emphasized in her statement that “there is adequate supply of water to meet the demand” and added that a treatment facility had been erected to improve water policy and was already fulfilling its intended function.
Cecilia Abena Dapaah emphasized that the Nananko, Abreshia Water System is also a multi-water system that serves the communities of Nananko and Abreshia, noting that the Water System was finished in 2016 under a World Bank project with a design population of 5,986 and respectively.
Giving a detailed account, the minister recounted that water source was from the two boreholes with combined discharge of 18 cubic meter per hour and a storage of hundred cubic meters high level tank. She said there’s adequate supply of water to meet demand.
She said, “the community is currently in charge of the management of the water system and all attempt to have Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) to manage the system has been resisted by the community” she added.
The CWSA is now engaging the right parties to have technical and contractual issues handled before the end of the year, but she acknowledged that the Water System still needs to establish a water treatment facility and that there are some management challenges.
The minister also claims that she is unaware of the issues linked with Wassa Japa’s water supply being currently unfit for human consumption.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com/Kaakyire Kwasi Afari
