Minister promises to Improve Water Supply System in Upper East

Vea (U/E), March 18, GNA- The Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr. Hackman Owusu Agyeman, at the weekend pledged that his Ministry would soon improve the water supply system in the Bolgatanga and Bawku Municipalities and their environs.

He made the promise when he visited the Vea dam in the Upper East Region, which supplies water to the Bolgatanga Municipality and surrounding areas to assess the situation on the ground. He was accompanied by a team of newsmen and Management of the Ghana Water Company Ltd (GWCL).

Briefing the Sector Minister, the Regional Engineer of GWCL, Mr. George Yanore, said one of the major problems facing the company was the obsolete nature of the water plant, which had been operating for more than 24 years and needed to be changed.

He again mentioned the need to desilt the Vea Irrigation Dam to help provide adequate of water to the people.

Mr Yanore said another problem hindering the supply of water was the intermittent cut of supply of power from the national grid, which prevents the company from pumping the required quantity of water to the communities.

Responding, the sector Minister said plans were underway to help desilt the Vea dam and help repair or replace the old water plants to increase the amount of water supply. Mr Owusu Agyeman later paid a similar visit to the Bawku Municipality to acquaint himself with the water situation in the area. He said the Ministry planned to use the White Volta basin as a source of generating more water to augment the existing boreholes to improve the supply of water in Bawku and its surrounding areas. 18 March 07