Water supply in Tamale receives a boost

Tamale (Northern Region), 28th June 99 -

President Jerry John Rawlings on Saturday commissioned the 21-billion-cedi Tamale water rehabilitation project, which has increased water supply to the municipality by 60 per cent.

The project, started in September 1997 with a 10-million-dollar Japanese loan and a 3.75 billion cedi component, now pumps 4.3 million gallons of water a day, from the previous 2.7 million gallons.

The rehabilitation work, which was undertaken by the French construction firm, SOGEA, involved the installation of two new pumping machines at the Nawuni intake point and the construction of a one million-gallon booster station each at Gumo and Tamale.

Two 500,000-gallon overhead reservoirs have also been constructed to cater for the northern and southern parts of the municipality.

President Rawlings said the increase in the volume of water supply is still not enough to meet the demands of the 400,000 residents of the municipality.

He said government does not have enough resources to meet the total demand now, but efforts are being made to secure loans to undertake a major expansion to cater for the entire population.

President Rawlings said though Ghana is a credit worthy country, the donor community would be more encouraged to come forth with loans if consumers pay their water bills and refrain from illegal connections.

He appealed to the public to pay their bills promptly to ensure that the system is maintained on a sustainable basis.

Alhaji Amadu Seidu, Deputy Minister of Works and Housing, said the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), in collaboration with the government of Ghana, is providing water and sanitation systems to seven districts in the eastern part of the Northern Region.

The districts are Yendi, Nanaumba, Saboba/Chereponi, Zapzugu/Tatale, Gushegu/Karaga, East Mamprusi and West Mamprusi.

The French Development Agency (AFD) is also assisting to provide similar facilities in the Bole, West Gonja, East Gonja, Savelugu/Nanton and Tolon/Kumbungu districts.

Alhaji Seidu said the beneficiary communities are expected to pay five per cent of the capital cost of the project.

The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Joshua Alabi, said the completion of the water project attests to the fact that the NDC government does not make vain promises.

He said the availability of potable water to the municipality would drastically reduce the incidence of guinea worm disease if not eradicate it completely.

The Regent of Tamale, Na Ziblim Abdulai who chaired the function.

GRi?/