CWSA reveals plans to engage PWMOs to ensure effective management


The Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) have revealed plans to engage the service of Private Water Management Operators, (PWMOs) to ensure effective management of Small Town Supply Systems at Salaga and Walewale. 

The systems which are under construction are of high capacity as a result of the low water table of the areas and will need professional personnel to operate them effectively. 

The Agency believes engaging private operators is a key way of ensuring sustainability of the systems since they will be strictly monitored and held accountable by the District Assemblies. 

The Chief Executive Officer of the CWSA, Clement Bugase revealed this in an interview with Radio Ghana after the he and Board Members of the Agency addressed the chiefs and people of Kpalbe, a community in the East Gonja District of the Northern Region as part of their tour of the region. 

Radio Ghana’s Mohammed Fugu`s reports that, the East Gonja District of the Northern Region has been battling with water crises for some time now as a result of its geographical location.  

The existing Water supply system can only supply water to the central part of Salaga, Kpembe and Nkwanta.  

However, communities including Sisipe, Kalande, Masaka Kapito and Nakpaye do not get access to the water. 

Residents during dry seasons resort to sharing untreated water with animals from a nearby dam.  

The Chief Executive Officer of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency, Clement Bugase expressed worry over the usual breakdown of water projects after inauguration, stating that, the agency will do all it can to ensure the sustainability of  projects it implement. 

He said work on the salaga water project came to a halt in 2014 as a result of delay of funding from government. 

He said all is set to resume work on the project and it is expected to supply water to over 50, 000 peoples when completed. 

Work on the Kpalbe Small Town Water Supply system is almost completed and water production will begin within these days. 

The project which include Mechanized boreholes and a number of standpipes with reservoirs is expected to supply water to about 4, 000 people.
 
The chiefs and people of the community commended government for the gesture when Board Members of the CWSA inspected the project. 

The Board paid a curtesy call on Chief of the Kpembe Traditional Area, kpembewura Alhaji Abubakar Sulemana to familiarize with him and solicit for his support to improve on the water situation in the area. 

The Board Chairman of the CWSA, Nana Danso Agyei II, who is also the Paramount Chief of the Nkasem Traditional Area in the Brong-Ahafo Region, attributed the intermittent breakdown of most Small Town Water Supply Systems to technical challenges and, therefore, tasked various Water and Sanitation Management Teams to adopt strategies to sustain the facilities. 

He advised the people to attach importance to the sanitation and hygiene component of the project since open defecation is a major problem confronting the nation.


GBC