A sod-cutting ceremony has been held at the Tono Irrigation Dam site, in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality of the Upper East Region, for the commencement of the construction of a water treatment plant.
The project is primarily to build a new water system on the Tono Irrigation Dam, and make available, two million gallons of treated water daily for Bolgatanga, Navrongo, Paga, and Zuarungu among other communities in the area.
The existing water supply systems in the Upper East Region are not adequate to meet the demand of the fast-developing cities. The very high population growth in the larger cities contributes to the deficiency in water demand.
The climate in the area is generally arid, which has resulted in migration to the larger cities. The economic development is largely based on agriculture and the food processing industry. Presently, there is an existing water treatment plant located in Gowrie with the water source from the Vea dam, supplying both cities but with inadequate capacity.
After the expected system change, this water treatment plant will dedicate supply to Bongo district and its surroundings. The raw water source for this system, the Vea Irrigation reservoir, is exploited to its limit hence eliminates the possibility of extended use.
The Tono Water Treatment Plant Project is financed through concessional funding. The project valued at about thirty-seven million,Euros is financed with a twenty-five million Euro grant from the Netherlands government.
The Paramount Chief of the Navrongo Traditional Area, Navro Pio Pe Asagapare, said the project, when properly executed will be a lasting solution to the challenges of providing safe drinking water to meet the needs of the people in the area especially those within the fluoride belt in the Bongo district.
He appealed to government through the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources to find a lasting solution to some challenges confronting the people living around the Tono Irrigation Dam.
The Acting Managing Director of the Ghana Water Company Limited, Remy Bonpita Puoru, spoke about the scope of the project.
The Netherlands Deputy Ambassador to Ghana, Katja Lasseur, said the Netherlands government is committed in supporting Ghana’s government in providing safe drinking water for its citizens.
The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Dapaah, reiterated governments commitment in providing potable drinking water for the people in the country.She said the project is designed to carry out an expansion and replacement of the distribution network.
The Project is awarded to Denys Engineers and Contractors BV of Netherlands and it’s expected to be completed within twelve months.
