The Sissala West District Assembly has initiated steps to harmonize development plans for all communities within the district.

One of these measures include the inauguration of the Spatial Planning Committee and its Technical Sub-Committee and tasking them to develop physical development plans for the communities to prevent people from constructing buildings in a haphazard manner.

Mr Mohammed Zakaria Bakor, Sissala West District Chief Executive (DCE), speaking at the third ordinary meeting of the Assembly, said they had to attend to this basic function if they are to avoid the challenge of haphazard development in the communities.

He said both public and private land issues would now be addressed through appropriate procedures and appealed to everyone in the district especially traditional authorities to help ensure that people cultivated the habit of obtaining building permits from the District Assembly before developing their lands.

On sanitation, Mr Bakor said the Assembly has recommitted itself towards the mobilization of resources for an accelerated Open Defecation Free (ODF) campaign.

Other projects undertaken by the Assembly in the area of water and sanitation include the rehabilitation of the Gwollu Small Town Water System and the drilling and mechanization of a borehole for the fire and ambulance service station.

It also constructed two institutional latrines and two mechanized boreholes at the Hilla Limann Senior High School to help alleviate the hustle students undergo in search of water.

Four of such latrines have also been spread across four market centers in the district under the government special initiatives.

Currently, he said, 50 boreholes are being drilled across the district out of which 37 have already been completed and are in use.

Mr Bakor said Mr Patrick Alhassan Adama, the Member of Parliament (MP), also drilled 10 boreholes and fixed five other abandoned ones to improve access to potable water in various communities.

For the health sector, the DCE said, the Assembly has embarked on the construction of a 40-bed capacity maternity/children ward for the Gwollu Hospital; the completion of District Health Administration Office; the provision of beds and a 10,000 litter polytank as well as the procurement of motor bikes to the hospital administration.

Others are the construction of Community-Based Health Planning Services (CHPS) compounds at Bullu which have been renovated; and the extension of electricity to other CHPS compounds in various communities.

Mr Bakor said the Assembly together with the MP has embarked on over 24 projects, programmes and activities such as the construction and renovation of classroom blocks, the supply of furniture to schools, and financial support to tertiary students among others.