Wasaku lake restoration project nears completion

By Theodore M.K. Viwotor

The importance of water bodies to the livelihood of communities in the Ada East constituency of the Greater Accra region was brought to the fore when the Member of Parliament for the area, Madam Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe Ghansah assigned reasons for her decision to embark on a project to restore life to the 12 km long lake that served over seven communities in the area.

According to Mrs. Ghansah, who is the Minister of State in charge of Social and Allied Institutions, she embarked on the project cognizant of the numerous benefits it offers several communities scattered along its stretch. Speaking to media men at Wasakuse, one of the beneficiary communities of the project, to mark this year’s World Water Day, , Mrs. Ghansah said besides serving as a source of drinking water to some 2,000 residents, the project would revamp farming and fishing businesses.

The project, known as the Wasaku-Leblor Water Channel project and an initiative of the Minster, aims at dredging the pathway of the Wasaku Lake to the Leblor water body, linking it to the Songhor Lagoon.

The lake completely dried up some 30 years ago as a remote effect of the construction of the Akosombo Dam, forcing the residents to migrate to other nearby towns and villages in search of jobs and other means of livelihood. The dried up lake has become a large tract of desert-like field serving no purpose. The project is expected to be completed in some two weeks as the workers finish off the remaining two kilometer stretch of the lake. The tributaries to be fed by the main lake are Truku, London, Dahe, Yissor, among others.

Mrs. Ghansah also promised to assist fishermen with fishing nets, lines and hooks whilst giving the farmers farming tools and pipes for irrigation. She said the project is employing some 60 workers who are also helping with manual work. So far she has spent about GH?140,000.00 from her common fund on works.