Three communities in the Nanumba district in the Northern Region have benefitted from a GH?4.7million water and sanitation project.

The five-year national project which began in 2009 was to ensure the provision of potable water supply to about 100,000 people living within the north-eastern corridor of the country who find it difficult to access purified and potable water, and sanitation.

The beneficiaries who were from Makayili, Bincheretanga and Tatale/Sangule have for the past years been depending on untreated stagnant water on which animals also depend for their survival.

Inaugurating the projects in their various communities, Alhaji Collins Dauda, Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, noted that government has also embarked on numerous projects to build new water systems and also rehabilitate the existing ones.

"By the first quarter of next year three more projects will be completed for Nakpayili, Kparigu and Wapuli, all in the Northern Region," he added.

In a bid to improve rural water and sanitation delivery, the Northern Region is also benefitting from the sustainable rural water and sanitation projects with the rehabilitation of 400 boreholes throughout the region as well as the construction of over 80 toilet facilities to improve sanitation and hygiene conditions in the region, the minister added.

The World Bank support, he said, will also see to the rehabilitation and expansions of 13 small town water systems -- with seven contracts already awarded to the tune of GH?38million to reduce water shortage in the deprived communities and facilitate the eradication of guinea worm disease.

He urged the district assemblies to train more artisans for maintenance of the facilities. To achieve this, he advised them to set aside some funds to enable them embark on routine maintenance.

He also urged the communities to take good care of the projects which will go a long way to improve livelihoods of the people for a better future.

Alhaji Mohammed Limuna Muniru, Northern Regional Minister, noted that the provision of the sanitation project will help reduce the open defecation which affects the health condition of the rural dwellers. He advised the children and parents to practice good hygiene, which is the surest way of investing in their health that will enable them contribute to the country’s economic growth.

Ms Anik Desmules-Raggio, a representative of the Canadian government, reiterated the country’s commitment in the support of funds to improve living conditions for people in the rural areas who contribute to the socioeconomic needs of a country.

According to her, the Canadian government has over the past years provided over 930 million dollars for developmental projects, which has helped increase access to potable water and sanitation for more than 1.3 million people.