General News of Wednesday, 30 April 2008

Source: GNA

Landowners refuse to give land to GWCL

Accra, April 30, GNA - Refusal by landowners to allow water tanks to be mounted on their lands by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) is stalling government's efforts to supply potable water in the heat of the acute water shortage.

Mr. Amidu Musah, GWCL Distribution Engineer for Accra East on Wednesday said; "when we asked land owners and landlords in Osu, La, and Teshie to give us land to mount water tanks for their areas some of them refused".

He said this when Mrs. Cecelia Abena Dapaah, Minister of State, Ministry for Water Resources, Works and Housing visited some sites where water tanks were mounted.

Government initiated the move to assist communities with acute water shortage earlier this year with the mounting of water tankers. Mr Amidu said as at now, Teshie had 16 tankers, La, 14 and Osu, 8 tankers which had helped to minimize the water crises in those areas. He appealed to landowners to cooperate with GWCL when they come asking for land to locate the tankers.

Mrs Cecilia Dapaah, asked the water sellers in the areas to keep their surroundings clean and make sure all in the community benefited from the facilities.

She advised the sellers to minimize if not eliminate wastage of the water and that the initiative would be extended to other areas facing water shortages.

She commended GWCL for good management of the facilities they had distributed so far and for creating employment opportunities for those they employed to sell the water.