Construction of first dam on river Pra to begin

Daboase (W/R), Oct. 2, GNA - The construction of four additional mini hydro dams by the government to meet the country's energy requirements would begin this month.

Mr Edward Tawiah Amprofi, Mpohor-Wassa East District Chief Executive, (DCE) said the sod-cutting ceremony for the first dam on the River Pra, which he said would be the biggest among the four, would be performed by President Agyekum Kufuor before the end of this month. Announcing this at the second ordinary meeting of the second session of the fifth Assembly meeting at Daboase on Wednesday, Mr Amprofi said the dam would be sited near Adeankyewodem village in the district.

The three other dams would be sited on rivers Ankobra and Tano, also in the Western region and Pra at Twifo-Praso in the Central Region. The project, when completed, would greatly transform the socio-economic lives of the people in the area as well as impact positively on the industrial development of the country. Mr Amprofi urged the people to cooperate with the government to ensure the smooth take-off of the project. A minute's silence was observed in memory of the late Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu former Minister of Finance and Economic planning, who the DCE said, was very instrumental in getting the Chinese government support for the projects.

He said as at July this year, the Assembly had spent GH¢ 541,180 out of the annual budget of GH¢ 1,427,370 on recurrent and capital expenditure for the provision of education, health, electricity, water, sanitation and road projects.

Mr Amprofi said the rehabilitation of a number of roads particularly in cocoa growing areas in the district, including the Ankaako-Atobiase road have begun. Work on the 11-kilometre Apowa-Benso and the 15-kilometre Eshiem-Manso roads have been delayed as the result of heavy rainfall in the area, while the 16-kilometre Beposo-Adiembra-Sekyere Himan road would soon be tarred. He said so far GH¢ 117,715 representing about 45 per cent of internally generated revenue was realised from a target of GH¢ 263,225 for the year.

Mr Amprofi said however that due to lack of funding, a number of planned projects including markets, drainage system for some communities and schools as well as the procurement of trucks and wheel barrows to improve waste management could not be executed.