Upper East Region to get more latrines

Bolgatanga, July 26, GNA- The Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) is constructing 1,200 latrines in 10 communities in the Upper East Region at the cost of GH¢3,666, 935.00.

This followed a pilot project, which led to the construction of 20 demonstration latrines.

Mr. Steven Anafum, staff of CWSA, who made this known in Bolgatanga, said 50 latrines were being constructed for a number of institutions under the small Town Water Supply and Sanitation Project. He was speaking during a visit by Mr. Mark Woyongo to the premises of the CWSA, where he interacted with members of staff. Mr. Anafum said 45 boreholes would be drilled by the agency at the end of the year to improve water delivery in the region. He said 50 latrine artisans had been trained to take care of the latrines as well as 200 school health teachers, to expose their pupils to basic hygiene.

He complained the disbursement of funds from the Municipal and District assemblies to facilitate the project was too slow. Mr. Woyongo expressed concern that many households in Bolgatanga did not have toilets, whilst public places of convenience were inadequate.

He urged the Municipal and District assemblies to build public toilets and charge fees to maintain them.

The minister also met with staff of the Irrigation Development Authority (IDA), Ghana Immigration Service, Rent Control, Volta River Authority, and the Ghana Water Company Limited as part of a familiarisation tour of the region. At IDA, Mr. Woyongo said the region had to pay special attention to irrigation due to the unreliable rainfall pattern that supports only one farming season.

Mr. Woyongo urged the authority to keenly supervise works on the rehabilitation of the 39 dams and dugouts in the region, some of which were damaged during the 2007 floods. He said he had received complaints that some contractors were doing shoddy works on the project.

He warned that supervisors of such contracts could be held liable for causing financial loss to the nation if the work was not done satisfactorily.

He charged the IDA, to make a list of all the dams and contractors and work out the progress of work on each dam. The regional minister said government would sanction any contractor who proved not to be serious. Mr. Samuel Manu Ansah, Regional Manager of IDA, said lack of transport was affecting the work of the supervisors.