58 committees formed to protect rivers and streams in Bawjiase area.

Awutu-Adawukwa (C/R), March 25, GNA - Plan Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organisation, has formed 58 Water and Sanitation Maintenance Committees i= n the Awutu-Bawjiase catchment area to protect rivers and streams from pollution and drying up. Members of the committee would also plant trees and protect vegetati= on at the banks of the rivers and streams and keep them clean all time to ensure that water bodies are properly and effectively maintained. Mr Joseph Assan, Manager of the Bawjiase Office of Plan Ghana, made=

this known at a ceremony to commemorate World Water Day at Awutu-Adawukwa= .. He said the committees would also ensure that such important natural=

assets are always protected against pollution by people living in the beneficiary communities to safeguard their good health. Mr Joseph Yaw Owusu-Kwarteng, Public Relations Officer of the Awutu-Effutu-Senya Mutual Health Insurance Scheme, who also addressed the=

ceremony, advised members of the scheme whose cards had expired to renew them immediately and not to wait till they encountered serious health problems before making efforts to renew them. Mr Owusu-Kwarteng said it was not true that the government had mandat= ed Mutual Health Insurance Scheme to collect 600.00 Ghana Cedis from people wishing either to register with the NHIS or renew their cards. Five communities including Awutu-Okwabena which were adjudged the neatest among the 58 communities were given awards including wheel barrow= s, rakes, shovels, hoes and cutlasses. Mr Philip Mumford, District Community Development Officer, praised teachers and school children for the educative drama they staged at the function and appealed to the people in the area to use the lesson learnt from it to protect the environment. 25 March 10