Kumasi, July 20, GNA - Madam Patricia Appiagyei, Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, has expressed concern over the alarming rate at which water bodies were being destroyed and called on the people to help address the problem.
She cited the catchment areas of the Owabi and Barekese dams, which serve as the major sources of drinking water to Kumasi and its environs and said it was important for the communities to replant trees around the areas.
Madam Appiagyei made the observation when executive members of 'Save Our Waters Ghana', a Kumasi-based environmental Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), paid a courtesy call on her on Wednesday. The NGO, which was formed in March this year, aims at protecting rivers and streams and also undertake educational programmes on healthy environmental sanitation and personal hygiene. Madam Appiagyei asked the organisation to effectively collaborate its activities with the KMA, the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other related agencies to protect the ecosystem.
Mr Patrick Oppong, Chairman of the group, said it had undertaken several environmental programmes in the region and has so far invested over 100 million cedis in its activities. He said it desilted and planted trees along the banks of River Akoso at Suame Magazine in Kumasi, removed piled-up refuse dumps and cleared bushes in many suburbs of the Kumasi metropolis.
