Takoradi March.22 - GNA-Mr. Daniel Adjetey Adjei, Western Regional Chief Manager of Aqua Vitens Rand Limited, management consultants of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), on Thursday said the company has embarked on a sustained programme to provide rural communities in the region with safe drinking water.

He was speaking at a press briefing to mark this year's World Water Day under the theme: "Coping with Water Scarcity - Challenge of the 21st Century" at Takoradi.

Mr Adjei said the company, which is managing the facilities of the GWCL, has engaged about 22 contractors to lay pipelines to rural communities without potable water.

He hoped the rural water project of the company would help the government to achieve its water target as part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by 2015.

Mr. Adjei said the government wants to reduce by half, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water under the MDG by 2015.

He said, "Judicious management of increasingly scarce resources is needed if benefits in economic growth, hunger reduction, lifting households out of extreme poverty and ensuring environmental sustainability, among others, are to be achieved". Mr. Adjei said, "Wise use of water would be needed if all the MDGs, most of which could be reached by 2015, are to be attained".

Mr. Adjei said the region has sufficient water facilities to provide safe drinking water for the population but the facilities should be properly maintained to ensure regular flow of water.

He said the dam at the Inchaban Water Works has not been rehabilitated for many years and a dam needed to be constructed at the intake on the river Pra at Daboase to increase water productivity during dry season. Mr. Adjei said the potential for access to improved water sources and best water management practices; basic sanitation and improved hygiene behaviour must be developed to the full.

He said few people have taken advantage of the company's amnesty for those who have illegal water connections to their homes.

Mr. Adjei said few people have taken advantage of the amnesty in the region and used the occasion to renew calls to the people to inform the company of any illegal water connections.

He said the company would arrest and prosecute people who have illegal water connections after the expiry of the amnesty and demand payment for the quantity of water illegally used.

Mr. Adjei also advised the public to personally inform the company of faults instead of using radio announcements.