ABOUT eight years ago Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital, was a thriving commercial centre which was the envy of many people, especially workers posted there from other parts of the country.
That was because the town, together with its suburbs of Asokore, Effiduasi, Oyoko, Suhyen and Jumapo and other smaller communities which formed the fast growing municipalit boasted of good social amenities such as schools, hospitals and markets. However, of late the area had been experiencing perennial shortage of a vital social amenity—water.
The municipality, with an estimated population of 200,000 relied on water supply from the Densu River and two springs, the Okomi and Suhyen. The water was inadequate for the big population.
What worsened the situation was that the water pipes laid in the area over the years could not properly ensure free-flow of water for all the communities at the same time.
While some taps in some communities would be running, others would be dried up, compelling the people in such places to trek to the few “oasis” .
The sad aspect of the issue was that all the taps normally stopped flowing during the dry season (December-February), compelling educational institutions to close down to prevent the students from contracting water-borne diseases.
To remedy the situation, Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), now managed by Aqua Vittens Rand Limited (AVRL), tried to replace some of the old pipes and also constructed a number of boreholes in areas such as Adweso as a measure to improve water supply.
The rehabilitation of some of the pipes, together with the treatment plants at Suhyen, Densuagya as well as another one near the Obuotabri Mountains together provided 1.2 million gallons of water a day for the municipality.
The water was still inadequate for the people in the municipality, which is fast growing to the status of a metropolis.
Realising the difficulties the people would face in the near future in the wake of increase in population in the area in contrast with the limited supply of water, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government on assumption of power contracted a 33 million euro loan from Belgium for the provision of a water supply system that would bring to an end the perennial water problem facing the municipality.
The project entails drawing water from the Volta Lake at Kpornyakope to a modern treatment plant at Bukonor in the Yilo Krobo District to be pumped to the New Juaben Municipality.
The project, jointly funded by the Belgian government and the KBC Bank in Belgium, is being executed by Denys Engineering, also a Belgian firm.
Fifty-seven per cent of the project that is being executed in phases has been completed to pump 3.5 million gallons of water under the first phase to the municipality.
When the entire project is completed, places such as Tafo and Osiem, all in the East Akyem Municipality would be covered.
Speaking to the Parliamentary Sub-Committee on Works and Housing during a fact finding tour of the area last week, Mr Okomen Mensah, the Manager of Ekobuil Royal Consult, the consulting firm for the project, said at the current rate of construction, Koforidua and its environs would start enjoying uninterrupted supply of water from the Volta Lake early next year.
“The pipelines are being laid. On the whole, Denys is working ahead of schedule and considering the current rate of construction, water from the Volta Dam would flow to New Juaben early next year,” Mr Mensah said.
He further stated that provision had been made for all the villages and hamlets along the pipeline to benefit from the project.
According to him, in all, 403 standpipes would be provided for people who could not afford water meters for the whole area.
Mr Mensah said the Koforidua township would have the lion’s share of 219 standpipes, with Old Tafo, Osiem and Suhyen getting 154 while the remaining 30 would cater for villages and hamlets along the pipeline.
The Regional Engineer of GWCL/AVRL, Mr J.R. Fofie, who was also present at the Bukonor Plant when the legislators visited the place, said his outfit had been doing its best to ensure that the project was completed on time.
While work on the project progresses each passing day for the people to have good drinking water on time, those living along the pipeline, especially at Bukonor, where a large stretch of farm land had been used, had not yet been compensated for, depriving them of the use of their land.
They had only been compensated for the crops which were destroyed and the monies paid as expected cannot be utilised for any meaningful investment for a secured future.
The reason is that the money, which had already been made available by the GWCL/AVRL to compensate the landowners, had been lodged with the Lands Commission.
According to Mr Mensah, the commission would have to determine the true owners of the land before effecting payment.
The delay in the payment of compensation for the land did not go well with the members of the Parliamentary Select Committee, as they called on the Lands Commission to expedite work on the payment.
“The landowners, who had been deprived of their livelihood must be paid on time to enable them to cater for their immediate needs and also invest for the future,” said Mr Samuel Jonfia, the Chairman of the committee and MP for Ahanta West.
On the whole, the committee commended Denys Engineering for working ahead of schedule. It also praised the GWCL/A VRL as well as Ekobuild Royal Consult for the able manner they had supervised the construction work.
They expressed the hope that the people in the New Juaben Municipality as well as those of Tafo in East Akyem and Osiem in the Fanteakwa District would in the near future enjoy regular supply of good drinking water which had eluded them for sometime now.
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