FORGOTTEN NEWS: What happened to water for Kwahu?

In 2011, then Vice-President John Dramani Mahama announced a multi-million-dollar project to provide water for the people of Kwahu in the Eastern Region. The project was supposed to be completed last year but almost two years on, taps in Kwahu still run dry.

On World Water Day last Friday, IMANI Ghana said their research showed that the water situation in the Birim North and Kwahu North districts has actually become much worse since the commencement of the project, which is supposed to feature a floating pontoon at the intake of Lake Volta at Kotosu and rehabilitation and expansion of existing water treatment plants.

Moreover, it was actually back in 2010 that the former Finance Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffuor said that he was happy with work on the $120 million Kumawu, Konongo and Kwahu Ridge Water Supply Project.

The work started back in 2008 and Duffuor promised it would be completed in August 2011. Still the taps in Kwahu run dry.

The year’s budget statement said little about water stating only that “during the year the expansion of the Nsawam water system, the Mampong water supply system and the Kumawu, Kwahu Ridge, Konongo water systems will be continued”. There was nothing to indicate that the Kwahu water projects will be completed this year, over five years since work on water supply in the area started.

Moreover, President Mahama’s state of the nation address, which was delivered in February, said little about increased water provision, in spite of the chronic shortages across the country and the fact that millions lack any access to water at all. President Mahama said only that water supply was “precarious”.

“The situation…requires massive investment in new water delivery infrastructure and timely maintenance like the ongoing works at the Kpone headwork. In the medium to long term, we will seek to devolve authority from centralised urban water management systems to a more decentralised management for efficient and cost effective delivery,” he said in his speech.

The Ghana Water Company Ltd (GWCL) is the management company in charge of the Kwahu Ridge project but there is little information on their website about the progress of the project. Persistent attempts were made to contact Mr Stanley Martey, Head of Public Affairs at GWCL, over the last two weeks to find out about the status of the project, but he has been unavailable for comment.

Recently, GWCL has become embroiled in scandals involving the use of expired water treatment chemicals and stolen water pipes while its managing director, Mr Kweku Botwe, has been fighting allegations of corruption.

As Easter approaches and people gear up for the annual Kwahu festival when people flock to the area to celebrate the religious feast, is there much to celebrate when it comes to water in Kwahu?