Wa, June 1, GNA - The Community Water and Sanitation Agency, (CWSA) in the Upper West Region is to provide 45 boreholes to communities that have been faced with critical water supply to stem the spread of water-borne related diseases. Five communities in each of the nine districts in the region had been selected to benefit from the project, Madam Blandina Batiir Upper West Regional Director of the CWSA told Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface, Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing in Wa. She said, funds for the project was not forthcoming and appealed to the sector Minister to help provide the funds for the drilling of the boreholes before the rains set in to disrupt work. Alhaji Boniface was in the region on a familiarization tour to inspect development projects and also interact with workers to address their problems.

She said because of the last year's floods, some communities have had their water systems polluted and others had their boreholes broken down and needed replacement. Alhaji Boniface, who also inspected a 500 Ghana cedis Lawra Small Town Water system which is to provide about 27,000 gallons of water to the township.

He said provision of potable water in the communities was important as it has helped to improve the health of the people who would in turn contribute meaningfully to the national economy. He said water was a security asset and government was subsidizing the cost of it for the people asked them to pay their water tariff regularly to keep the CWSA in operation. Mr. George Hikah Benson, Upper West Regional Minister, who accompanied the sector Minister, said water supply was still inadequate some communities in the region and called on the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing to provide the rural communities with more boreholes.

The Lawra District Chief Executive, Mr.George Sule said the provision of the potable water in the township was impacting positively on the living conditions of the people as well as enhancing teaching and learning in school and productivity among government workers. He said about 240 household latrines and 11 institutional latrines had been provided for the people in the Lawra Township and that the people were grateful to the government for the project. 01 June 08