GWCL's position on demolition of structures is non-negotiable

The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) will not accept any negotiated settlement to the encroachment on the Owabi Dam catchment area allowing illegal structures built there to remain, Mr Kenneth B. Maison, Ashanti Regional Chief Manager of the company has declared.

"Our position is that all the unauthorised buildings must be pulled down" he said, adding that, the stand taken by the company "is non-negotiable".

Mr Maison was interacting with newsmen in Kumasi before embarking on a plant tour at the Owabi and Barekese headworks in the Atwima District.

He said a total of 400 houses were known to have been illegally constructed in the Owabi catchment area and out of this, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) demolished 140 in 1998.

The Chief Manager said just before the rest could be razed to the ground, the encroachers obtained a court injunction from a Kumasi High Court to restrain the GWCL and the case had since been pending.

He denied claims that the delay in the final determination of the case was due to the company's inability to attend court, saying, "we want the court to go ahead."

Mr Maison said it was the judge who suggested that in view of the delicate nature of the case it should be settled out of court, adding, "even if we agree on negotiated settlement, we will insist that the buildings must go to safeguard water to people in our supply area."

The Chief Manager spoke of plans to introduce pre-paid meters to help reduce the high rate of commercial losses by the company.

He noted that the pre-paid meters, which cost over five million cedis per unit, could not be given out to all of its customers and that those in the "high regime" were the ones to benefit.

Nana Awusi Mensah, Commercial Manager, said private consumers in the Kumasi area as at the end of May, this year, owed the GWCL 15 billion cedis in unpaid water bills.

He blamed the high rate of commercial losses to the company on illegal connections and the high number of unmetered customers in the supply area and said there were efforts at improving the situation.