Brutu(UWR), July 13, GNA - Mr Jon Richardson, Australian High Commissioner to Ghana last Tuesday inaugurated two tube wells at Brutu in the Lawra District of the Upper West Region.

The High Commission financed the projects under its Small Holder Irrigation and Livelihood Enhancement (SMILE) project, to promote gardening for women's groups in the area.

The SMILE project encourages a new water pumping technology imported from Australia for rural communities much cheaper than other forms of wells and boreholes being operated currently. The tube wells are fitted with rope pumps made from re-cycled polythene material and as the operator turns its steel handle, the water is pumped into a reservoir for watering the gardens. Four of such wells have been constructed in the region by PRONET a water delivery NGO with funds from the High Commission through Concern Universal an international NGO.

The other two are located at Boli and Nakori, which are both communities within the Wa Municipality.

Mr Richardson said the technology had been used to solve water supply problems in rural parts of Australia that had 70 per cent of its land being either desert or arid.

He said Australia was already assisting Ghana in the health, education, water and sanitation sectors of the economy and was optimistic that there would be improvement in the living standards of beneficiaries of such assistance.

The High Commissioner said the tube wells would serve a dual purpose of providing water for domestic use and for gardening by women during the dry season.

Mr Ambrose Dery, Upper West Regional Minister noted that the facilities would contribute immensely towards improving the livelihood of the people when they become economically engaged during the dry season.

He said this would further alleviate the difficulties gardeners often faced in having to dig manholes from which they scooped water for their plants during the dry season.

Mr Dery lauded the partnership between PRONET, Concern International and the High Commission that had brought about the intervention.

The Upper West Regional Minister urged Municipal and District Assemblies to show commitment in the provision of household latrines in their communities to improve the health of their people. Mr George Sulley, Lawra District Chief Executive said the assembly had planned to forge partnerships with relevant organizations to sink wells to solve agricultural and water problems in the district.