Daboase, (W/R) Aug. 20, GNA - The Mpohor Wassa East District will spend 6,631,858 million Ghana cedis on water and sanitation projects from this year to 2012.

The projects, comprises of nine boreholes, 55 hand dug wells and 15 piped systems, as well as, increases in toilet facilities from the current 42 per cent to 75 per cent. Ms. Audrey Smock Mensah, Mpohor Wassa East District Planning Officer said this at the public hearing on water and sanitation plan, for the District at Daboase in the Western Region on Wednesday. She explained that the sources of water in the district are pipe borne, 11.5 per cent, borehole, 45 per cent, stream and rivers, 36.6 per cent, rain, 4.1 per cent, and others, 3.1 per cent. On toilet facilities in the district, she said 44. 5 per cent use pit latrines, 40.3 per cent use KVIP, two per cent use water closet and 1.6 per cent use pan latrine and others 7.6 per cent. She mentioned excessive rainfall which hampers construction works, inadequate funds for effective water and sanitation facilities, unwillingness of the communities to contribute their capital cost, defecating along river banks and bathing in water bodies as challenges faced by the assembly.

Also, she mentioned inadequate sanitation equipment, poor attitude towards waste disposals, well as poor road network and poor maintenance of water facilities.

Ms. Mensah said the district was working to ensure that all the 170 communities with population above 75 have a borehole or a hand dug well with pump by the end of 2012. Also, she said the district is to construct 84 additional toilet facilities for basic schools. She urged households in the district to provide toilet facilities, adding "defecating along river banks in the communities should be a thing of the past.

"Indiscriminate dumping of refuse and sending children to dump refuse should be stopped," she said. She encouraged water and sanitation committees to increase awareness on the importance of proper sanitation and disposal of waste. Ms. Mensah said the district will provide information on hygiene to every community at least once annually and improve enforcement of all waste management regulations. "Communities are expected to manage the facilities after completion of projects," she said.

Mr Frank Tsidzi, Western Regional Information Technologist of the Community and Sanitation Agency, commended the district for the public hearing on water and sanitation plan. He pointed out that the water supply in the region was very low and that the agency is working to ensure adequate supply of water for all residents and communities.

He urged communities to give accurate information on the water situation in the district, adding, "let us have a credible data to work with so that our development partners can support us". Mr. Anthony Bassaw, the Mpohor Wassa East District Chief Executive urged members of the communities to work hard to improve the water and sanitation problem in the district. 20 Aug. 09