Baifikrom, Mar, 23, GNA - The Ghana Water Company in the Central region has held this year's world Water Day with a call on communities living near water bodies to protect them for posterity. Addressing students from three senior high schools in the Mfantsiman Municipality, Mr Napoleon Appiah Dadson, Central regional Public Relations Manager, also called on consumers to conserve water to bolster availability.

The theme for the celebration was: "shared Water, shared opportunities" and it was attended by students from Mfantseman Girls High School, Method ist Senior High School and Mankessim Technical Senior High School.

They were taken through how water is processed for consumption at the Baifikrom water headworks, near Mankesim. The Day was instituted by the United Nations at a summit on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992 to draw world leaders' attention to the need to protect water bodies. Mr Dadson cited the Volta river as having passed through six countries - Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Benin, Togo and Ghana - and said those at the lower course were at the mercy of their neighbours at the upper course.

Mr Isaac Essilfie, Saltpond District Manager of the company, said a recent rehabilitation and expansion work on the water headworks had led to an increase in supply from about 1,500 cubic metres to between 75,000 and 100,000 cubic metres a month. He said the treatment plant currently serves communities in the Mfantseman Municipality, as well as Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam and Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese districts. Mr Essilfie said communities such as Suprodo, Asaafa, Edumafa and Narkwa which had their supply interrupted for more than five years were now enjoying water.