Chiana (U/R), May 11, GNA - The Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission is rehabilitating 40 boreholes in the Upper East and Northern regions at a cost of 60,000 Ghana cedis. Twenty boreholes, most of which were drilled in the 1970s and the 1980s, are being rehabilitated in each region under the 'Water for Life' Programme of the Mission's 'Humanity First Project', a Charity organization that addresses the development needs of communities.

Taking journalists around some of the boreholes under rehabilitation in the Upper East Region at the weekend Mr. Anjum Ahmedi said the metal pipes of the old boreholes had rusted and were being replaced with plastic pipes to make the water clean and safe. Mr. Ahmedi said six members of each beneficiary community would be trained to undertake minor repairs on the boreholes and also see to it that the people contribute money towards any major repair work.

Mr. George Kolo Asurayada, one of the six committee members of Achonia Community near Chiana, said their old borehole was drilled in 1983 to serve two other nearby small communities, Aligania and Gugoro. It served them well until early 2000 when it started breaking down and they had to depend on dugouts for water each time the borehole broke down. That, he said, was difficult because the dugout had dried out in March and the only alternative was a four-kilometre journey to Chiana to get water. "Every household would make a monthly contribution so that we have the money ready when it breaks down", he said. Thirteen boreholes had so far been repaired in the Upper East Region. The others would be done this week. Beneficiary Districts include Bongo, five, Builsa, six, Kassena-Nankana West, five, and Bolgatanga Municipal, four boreholes.