41 houses within Lafa stream basin to be demolished

Accra, June 25, GNA - The Deputy Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Dr Hannah Bissiw, on Thursday said about 41 houses and structures within the Lafa stream basin would have to be demolished to alleviate the flooding situation in that area. She said such a measure would allow the free flow of run-off from upstream to the outfall and also to enable the drain to be fully desilted and constructed properly.

Dr Bissiw was responding to a question on the floor of the House by Mr Justice Joe Appiah, MP for Ablekuma North, who wanted to know when the Lafa River would be desilted to prevent the perennial problem of flooding whenever it rains. The Minister said the removal of the structures in the waterway would enable the Hydrological Service Department of the ministry to carry out full designs and costing of the entire works to be carried out in the Lafa catchments area for further action. The Lafa stream flows through Mallam Kokoroko, Awoshie, Santa Maria and the race course area and stretches over 11 kilometres, Dr Bissiw said.

She said the natural alignment of the Lafa drain has been seriously encroached upon and except for the area downstream beyond the motorway crossing at Mallam where channel improvement or construction of the drain could be carried out without any restrictions. The Minister said houses have been built either in the drain's right of way or very close to it at several places upstream. Mr Stephen Yakubu, MP for Binduri, also asked the Minister what steps are being taken to resolve the water problems in the Binduri Constituency, particularly the number of boreholes to be provided this year as well as when the Binduri Water System would be completed. In her response, Dr Bissiw said a government priority project was currently ongoing, under which five boreholes are slated to be drilled in five communities in each district of the country. She said the Tansia community in the Binduri Constituency is a beneficiary of the project and that the consultant and drilling contractor have been engaged by the Bawku Municipal Assembly under the auspices of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) to select sites and effect drilling.

"The works are scheduled for completion by the close of this drilling season in the Northern part of the country in December 2009." On the water supply system, she said the CWSA has evaluated the current status of the system and it is estimated to cost GH¢150,000 to rehabilitate it to enable Binduri to enjoy uninterrupted water supply. Dr Bissiw mentioned the drilling of an additional borehole to augment the existing source of water, connecting the system to the national grid, laying a new transmission line and constructing a new pump house and also expanding the existing distribution network as some of the works to be undertaken to reactivate the water system. 25 June 09