News:
August 8, 2014
A one-day workshop has been organised for stakeholders in the catchment areas of the Weija Dam on how to keep and preserve the Densu River, which serves as a major water source for some parts of Accra and the Central Region.
The workshop, which was under the auspices of the Water Resources Commission to tackle issues associated with water quality monitoring and surveillance, was held at the Miklin Hotel yesterday in Accra. The timely call for the workshop was a result of the alarming rate of urbanization, human settlements, and illegal activities near and around the water body, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo said.
Mr. Afotey Agbo was of the concern that lack of access to clean water and sanitation systems were public health issues that must be dealt with, especially, in the urban centres. He said even though the government had the responsibility to supply water, and also increase the coverage of drinking water supply to every part of the country, it was also necessary that the citizens and assemblies protect it.
“However, if we increase the coverage of water supply, and allow the quality of it to be compromised as a result of our own actions and inaction, especially, within the catchment areas of our water sources, we would be addressing nothing in effect,” he warned. He said the ministry had noted the importance of urbanization and the challenges associated with it, and had, therefore, embarked on soliciting views on how to balance human settlements, population growth and human activities around the river basin, without damaging water quality.
The Regional Minister said he was happy that the workshop had brought major stakeholders within the catchment areas of the dam to brainstorm on how best to deal and safeguard the country’s water resources to improve the health of the people. “It is in this vein, that I consider this workshop very important in our efforts to confront the challenges associated with the protection and provision of quality water for the citizenry,” he added.
The Water Resources Commission being eager to protect water sources in the country, proposed to the Minister the relocation of toll booth at Tuba in the Ga South Municipality, since activities around it were polluting the dam.