Central Region marks World Water Day at Agona Kwanyako

Agona Kwaynako (C/R), March 27, GNA - Mr Godwin Kweku Dovlo, Central Regional Manager of the Ghana Water Company (GWC), on Thursday said the company would produce 100,000 gallons of water every day when the Cape Coast and Mankessim water projects were completed in September this year.

He said the production of approximately 23 million gallons of water a day would be enough to serve consumers to curtail the perennial water problem in the region. Mr Dovlo said this when he addressed students of the Swedru Senior High School and Agona Kwanyako Secondary/Technical School as part of activities to mark this year's World Water Day celebration at Agona Kwanyako.

He said the Cape Coast and Mankessim Water projects would be handed over to the company by the end of August this year to enable the company to produce water throughout the year. Mr Dovlo said when the construction and installation of the new treatment plant at Kwanyako Water Works were completed, the company would start supplying water to consumers at Kasoa, to reduce the load on the Weija Water Works currently facing a shortfall in its supply to Accra East.

He urged the students as future leaders of the country to educate their parents and siblings to desist from farming and cutting down trees planted along river banks and to stop polluting water bodies. Mr Stephen Tuffour Opoku, Central Regional Director of Community Water and Sanitation, expressed regret that District, Municipal and Metropolitan Assemblies and state institutions could not enforce laws on sanitation.

He stated that if the environment was not clean the health of the people would be at risk, adding that 2.6 billion people world-wide did not have access to good sanitation according to a United Nations report on sanitation.

Mr Opoku urged the Assemblies to ensure that every household got a toilet facility to promote good sanitation throughout the country. He called on the people who defecated at the beaches to stop the practice saying that it hindered the country's efforts at promoting tourism.

He said the UN report stated that a child died every second because of poor sanitation and urged Ghanaians to keep their environment clean to avoid communicable diseases. The students were conducted round the treatment plant by Mr Godwin Annor and Ms Margaret Marcoley, Agona Kwanyako District Manager and Regional Chemist respectively of the GWC. 27 March 08