What is the true status of all non-functional boreholes in the Akatsi District? This is the question the Akatsi District Assembly wants its District Water and Sanitation Team (DWST) to answer.
Published on: 25/06/2012
What is the true status of all non-functional boreholes in the Akatsi District? This is the question the Akatsi District Assembly wants its District Water and Sanitation Team (DWST) to answer.
In the latter part of 2011, the Triple-S Project supported water facility functionality and sustainability baseline data collection in three districts in Ghana; Akatsi in the Volta Region; East Gonja in the Northern Region and Sunyani West in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The results showed that, 66 out of the 249 boreholes in Akatsi District are completely broken, which stimulated a passionate discussion among sector partners, with the District Assembly playing the lead role.
In the last meeting with partners, the Chief Executive Officer, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe requested that, a comprehensive assessment should be conducted on each of the 66 broken boreholes in the district and a detailed report submitted to his office by the 6th of July 2012, to enable the Assembly to rehabilitate them. The DWST is to engage the three Area Mechanics in the district to conduct the assessment.
It is expected that, by 6th July, the district would have been furnished with a detailed report stating, which boreholes can be repaired and which parts are required for a final decision to be taken by the District Assembly and its partners.
Water service delivery in Akatsi District is largely driven by donor funded projects and NGOs operating in the district and coordinated by the District Assembly.
Almost all boreholes in the district are either provided by Development Partners, NGOs and Charity Organisations. The non-functional boreholes include: 35 were constructed by DANIDA within the period of 1985 to 2005 and fitted with Ghana Modified India Mark II hand-pumps, while 18 were constructed by Lifetime Wells for Ghana (LWG), a US based charity between 2007 to 2011 and are fitted with Afridev handpumps. The remaining 13 boreholes were provided by other institutions including the World Vision, the Church of Christ, Government of Ghana, and the UNHCR
At the meeting was a representative of Lifetime Wells for Ghana, a key partner in the provision of water facilities in the Akatsi District. Ghana Programme Officer of Lifetime Wells Ghana, Ms Christine Pomary said they are concerned about the sustainability of the facilities they provide.
She explained the Charity’s strategy is to enter into an agreement with District Assemblies to provide water for the most vulnerable in selected communities.
She said, “We have signed an Memorandum of Understanding with the Assembly indicating we will construct the facility while the District Assembly forms and trains Water and Sanitation (WATSAN) Committees to manage them, but that has not happened.”
She expressed the charity’s preparedness to help rehabilitate the broken down boreholes, but on condition that the District Assembly does form and train the WATSAN Committees to manage the facilities as well as sensitize the communities on their roles and responsibilities.
To ensure that sustainable water services are delivered to the communities, the Akatsi District Assembly has committed to remedying the gaps identified by the baseline study. The District Assembly has therefore allocated GHS 50,000.00 (US$ 25,626) to undertake WATSAN Committee training, water quality analysis and DWST monitoring activities in this year under its District Development Facility.
June 25, 2012
Tom Laari Chimbar/Lamisi Dabire
