Bolgatanga, Aug. 10, GNA - Feasibility Studies and preliminary design on the water supply system have been completed for the rehabilitation and expansion of Bolgatanga, Navrongo and Bongo in the Upper East.

The Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Alban Bagbin, who announced this in Bolgatanga, said the £39 million project, would be funded by the Netherlands Government.

He indicated that a raw water intake would be built on the Tono Dam with a treatment plant to produce enough water that would meet the long-term demands of both Navrongo and Bolgatanga.

“It will also contain reservoirs, transmission pipelines and a distribution network,” he said. “The Gowrie treatment plant will also be rehabilitated to meet its production capacity. Funding has been secured from the Netherlands for the Gowrie Plant too.”

According Mr Bagbin, the Bawku Water Supply would also benefit from a surface water treatment plant on the Volta River, which was being developed.

He said the Ministry had a big water package for the Region and explained that the Government under the Rural Water Supply Project, 552 boreholes were being dug in all the nine districts.

The Bawku Municipality will have 63 boreholes, Bawku West - 63, Bolgatanga Municipality - 48, Bongo - 48, Builsa - 63, Garu-Tempane - 79, Kassena Nankana East - 78, Kassena Nankana West - 56 and Talensi Nabdam District - 53.

He said the Government was implementing a lot of measures in the water sector, including a Comprehensive National Development Programme on the Water Sector Wide Approach, Maintenance of Water Bodies, Rain and Water Harvest, Institutional Reforms, Sustainability of Systems and Advocacy and Public Awareness Creation.

Mr Bagbin warned drivers of the Ghana National Fire Service and contractors who indulged in malpractices such as smuggling of water, damaging water pipelines and wasting water to desist from such acts.

The Upper East Deputy Regional Minister, Mrs Lucy Awuni, expressed worry that available statistics revealed that water and sanitation related diseases accounted for about 60 per cent of out-patient department attendance at the health institutions.

She called on the District Assemblies to adopt pragmatic measures to help reduce the problem of water and sanitation issues.