Expansion works on the Yendi water project in the Northern Region is expected to commence in June this year, Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Madam Cecelia Abena Dapaah announced in Accra yesterday.
The project is being funded with a $30 million concessional loan facility from the Export-Import (Exim) Bank of India.
According to the minister, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo would perform the sod cutting ceremony for the construction of a conventional water plant, a 25-km transmission pipeline, and water booster station and reservoir to address water challenges in that part of the region.
Madam Dapaah stated these when the High Commissioner of India in Accra, Mr Sugandh Rajaram, paid a courtesy call on her at her office in Accra.
The meeting was to discuss how both countries could co-operate in areas of potable water supply and sanitation.
She disclosed that about 133,000 residents in the Yendi municipality and beyond would benefit from the project when completed.
“The construction of the project signified the government’s commitment to improve sanitation and water situation which has engulfed some parts of the country and the establishment of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources demonstrates how serious the government has committed resources to improve the sector,” Madam Dapaah noted.
She said so far, 5,498 toilet facilities had been provided to households last year as compared with 5,410 similar facilities constructed in 2016 to tackle the menace of open defecation.
Madam Dapaah said the government through the ‘Clean Ghana Campaign’ has been educating the public on good sanitation practices as well as providing the needed logistics in tackling waste and this has yielded positive results.
She said government through the ministry has also tasked metropolitan, municipal and districts assemblies to empower its unit committees to monitor and promote good sanitation at the local level.
Mr Rajaram observed that the Government of India was also facing similar sanitation and water challenges and had instituted some mechanisms to gradually resolve the menace.
The High Commissioner said India had also initiated the Clean India Campaign to promote good waste management by its people.
Mr Rajaram said Ghana and India had common sanitation and water challenges which needed a strong collaboration to improve the living conditions of their citizenry.
BY BERNARD BENGHAN
