Poverty renders rural communities waterless

Accra, Oct. 9, GNA - Poverty was making it difficult for rural communities to provide counterpart funding for the provision of potable water.

This came up at a forum for stakeholders on the efficient management of community based water systems held on Thursday at Dodowa in the Dangme West District of Greater Accra Region.

The forum, organized by ProNet, an international NGO was under theme:" Ensuring sustainable water and sanitation delivery in small towns: The role of stakeholders"

Mr Mohammed Ali Amadu, District Development Planning Officer of Dangme West District noted that the current state of water and sanitation in most communities especially in the rural areas was inadequate.

Some of the communities found it difficult to provide counterpart funding for water supply systems.

Mr. Ali Amadu said the high salinity and the existence of iron ore underground rendered the water produced in the area salty and coloured. He said there was irregular flow of pipe-borne water at old Ningo and some other areas of the district.

Mr Oduro Donkor, Deputy Director for Technical Operations of ProNet said the objective for organizing the discussion was to sensitise stakeholders on how to develop a comprehensive water and sanitation programme where the community would be at the forefront.

He said the NGO has already spent 26,000 pounds on the pilot phase of the project, which included water sanitation and hygiene. He said the next phase of the project would be the implementation stage where the NGO and the district assembly would have to look for funding of the project.

Mr. Donkor gave the assurance that his organization would also support small towns in the Dangme West with the necessary facilities so that they could have access to good drinking water.

The meeting brainstormed on collating views on how to design new community- managed water systems for the people of Old Ningo, who have been experiencing acute water problem.

Participants at the forum were drawn from organizations involved in community water and sanitation programmes in the district and other civil society groups.