President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has cut the sod for the commencement of work on the Tamale water supply project in the Northern region.
The Tamale Water Supply Project seeks to expand the water supply capacity of the Tamale Metropolitan area, and also improve upon the flexibility of water supply, by building a new water supply system which will rely on the White Volta at Yapei, with a 29.7 million gallons per day capacity water treatment plant.
This will be, by far, the biggest water project in the five northern regions, and the second biggest, in terms of cost, in the history of the country.
President Akufo-Addo stressed that the Tamale water crisis remains largely unresolved adding that some sizable population in the Tamale area still do not have reliable access to potable water and as a result, the Ghana water company limited had to implement a water rushing program as an interim measure.
According to the President, the current water supply in Tamale is 9million gallons per day whiles the demand is 20million per day saying there is a shortfall of some 11million gallons per day.
“Government has decided that the Tamale water supply project are two options to consider either rehabilitating the existing water treatment plant or construct a new water supply system, after carefully examining closely the two options government decided to construct a new water system at Yapei thereby making available two water supply systems working concurrently to supply water to Tamale and its environs in order to achieve the availability reliable potable water in the metropolis.”
President Akufo-Addo said this will extend the coverage area of water supply saying this option is more reliable and sustainable in the long term because it will diversify water supply to the Tamale metropolis and its environs.
He revealed that the government had secured a credit facility amounting to $ 223,287,973 from the UK Export Finance and the Dutch bank.
“ I am happy to state that after completion the project will provide potable water to over 792,000 inhabitants in Tamale and its environs which is part of governments agenda in ensuring that by the year 2030 in the United Nations sustainable development goals all Ghanaians will have access to potable water.”
President Akufo-Addo said he expects the beneficiary communities to contribute to ensuring the sustainability of the facilities by protecting the infrastructure so that it will last long.
The President called on the public to protect the water bodies by stopping activists like galamsey, sand winning and farming along river bounds which leads to water pollution.
“ This will help guarantee improved water supply in terms of quality, quantity and reliability to the people of Tamale and it’s surroundings, water-borne diseases such as cholera will also be eliminated.”
President Akufo-Addo said in the era of Covid-19, the availability clean water is necessary to fight the virus and called on Ghanaians to strictly adhere to the health protocols such as washing of hands with soap, observing social distancing, avoiding handshakes, and wearing a mask whenever when leaving home.
He said governments policy is to ensure that all the 16 regions have access to potable water thereby leaving no community behind to guarantee water for all.
“ I am happy to announce that government has secured funding for the Upper East, Tamale, Damongo, Yendi, wench and Keta water projects and upon completion, these projects will serve a total population of 1.6million people.”
He urged the contractor of the Tamale water supply system Biwater International Limited to complete the project on schedule and delivery potable water to the beneficiary towns and communities.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale