Ghana Water Project to Ensure Clean Water for Accra | Voice of America - English
Ghana is planning a project to develop and manage its river basins. The goal is to improve the delivery of water services to consumers. The pilot project will focus on the Densu River, which serves as one of the main sources of water to the capital, Accra. The management plan will involve policy makers, planners and users. Ronald Abrahams is in charge of the Densu River basin at Ghana's Water Resources Commission.
He said, "People dump their wastewithin the river channel area, and when it rains [the waste finds its] way intothe water system." Some fishermen are also reported to be using dead animals asbait for fishing. Abrahams said often this is a result of ignorance: "We needto intensify our [public] awareness program to change attitudes for thebetter." He said the government will also build a water treatment plant atWeija, outside of Accra. The police are also checkingillegal quarries that remove the topsoil and destroy the land of the riverbasin. "We are working with the (Ga West) District Assembly to find alternatemeans of livelihood for the people and we hope this will solve the problem." Abrahams said the management planfor the basin will help prevent pollution and land degradation. The plancreates a buffer zone to protect existing trees. New ones will be plantedwithin the basin to help it withstand floods. He said they hope to use the buffer zone to remove farmers who usechemicals, in order to reduce pollution in the basin. The district is workingout a plan to relocate the farmers. Lawmakers are also consolidating existing fragmentedlegislation on Ghana's river basins and increasing public awareness programs.