Over 28 communities in Kpandai Do Not have Access to Drinking Water -MP laments
Thousands of residents in about 28 communities in Kpandai do not have access to drinking water, according to the Member of Parliament for Kpandai Constituency, Hon Daniel Nsala Wakpal.
He said boreholes for about 20 communities have also broken down, thereby worsening the situation for access to drinking in the communities.
Mr Nsala revealed this to EXPRESSNEWSGHANA in an interview after he posed a question to the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources in Parliament on Monday, November 13, 2023.
He wanted to know what plans the Ministry has to connect drinking water to the Kpandai township for residents to reduce the continued water crisis in the area.
“Mr Speaker, I rise to ask the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, what plans the Ministry has to
connect water to the Kpandai township,” Daniel Nsala Wakpal questioned the Minister on the floor of Parliament.
He said the Kpandai township that is supposed to enjoy water from the Community Water and Sanitation department of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources has not experienced a drop of water for the past years.
The MP said the situation is so unbearable that, “Children and their families in rural communities are most at risk of being left behind.
While promising to use his merger resources to dug Dams for the communities, Mr Nsala urged Governments to invest in water in his communities the country is going to bridge the economic gap between the urban and the rural and meet the SGD Goal #2 by close of 2030 and deliver this essential human right.
Hon Nsala believed that closing inequality gaps in the accessibility, quality and availability of drinking water should be at the heart of government funding and planning strategies.
Communities with no Water
The MP said some of the Communities have boreholes but have broken down and needed to be repaired, while some of them do not have boreholes nor any other sources of drinking water relied on a few river bodies and streams for water.
Currently, he said over eight of the communities and institutions do not have boreholes which Bubari, Kpandai Binadim, Mbowura Damako, Kwatape, Lambado, Nkanchina college of nursing, Balai and Kabeso
However, the communities with Boreholes which needed repairs are, Chakori, Meme, Katiejeli, Jirandongo, Kojoboni, Wiae, Balai, Kpaloung , Loloto, Bankamba west, Buya, Kumdi, Kabonwule, Mbowura, Dalado, Kitari and Bladjai.
The MP expressed disappointment in the Minister’s response to his question, arguing that the government have over the years paid lip services to his people.
Nevertheless,he appealed to his constituents to remained faithful with and continue to offer their support and prayers to enable him bring the needed development they need.
Minister Response
In response, the Sector Minister, Dr Freda Prempreh said Kpandai and its environs are currently being supplied
potable water from the Small Towns Water Supply System under the
Community Water and Sanitation Agency and some private hand-
dug wells.
According to her, an estimate revealed that the current water demand for Kpandai alone is 2000 cubic meters per day and this is projected to increase to 4500 cubic meters per day by the year 2045.
“Mr Speaker, the current water supply to Kpandai is less than 1000 cubic meters per day. This coupled with the increase in population requires the need for
expansion of the water supply system.”
“The community water system, the Minister said was constructed in the year 2006 under an African Development Bank (AFDB) funding.
“The water system has been non-functioning since 2017. The distribution network has 120 cubic meter high-level steel tank which is made up of PVC pipes that have broken at several points on the
pipe network. The water system was under the management of a Water
and Sanitation Management Team (WSMT) with the Kpandai District Assembly provided an oversight role until it broke down,” Dr Freda Prempreh said.
The Minister admitted, community members rely on water from privately mechanized boreholes in the town for their water needs. The current population of the town is around 18,889 with a growth rate of 3.7% and is a
vibrant commercial centre.
“Mr Speaker, a joint feasibility study has been carried out between the CWSA- Northern Region and Skylinks Technical Services to improve the water supply system in Kpandi. The River Oti which is approximately 11km away from Kpandai has been identified as a viable alternative source for the construction of the water system.”
The Minister explained to Parliament that, the assessment of “the existing water facility in Kpandai, it was
proposed that the water system should be rehabilitated including but not limited to the stated interventions.
Some of the intervention she said includes, “Constructing an intake on the Oti River 11 km away from the town
with a treatment plant, Construction of a transmission line of 11km, Construction of an entire new distribution network (extent of line yet to be determined), Rehabilitation of the existing 120 cubic meter and the construction of a new tanks and erection of 20 standpipes (reduced quantity to smart taps may be recommended), Construction of a new CWSA management Office.”
The implementation, according to the Water Resources Minister has been scheduled to commence during this
last quarter of the year subject to the availability of funds.
“Mr. Speaker, in view of the above and as part of Government’s Agenda to ensure that there is water for all and also in line with the SDG 6, the Ministry through the Ghana Water Limited, is also currently developing a water supply project for Salaga, Bimbila, Wulensi, Kpandai and surrounding communities,” she added.
She said, the project is targeted at addressing the water supply challenges of 111 communities located in two regions, i.e., the Savannah and Northern Regions and in five Municipal /District
Assemblies, i.e., East Gonja, Kpandai, Nanumba North, Nanumba South and Yendi, emphasizing that, “the communities consist of five peri-urbans, namely Salaga, Bimbila, Kpandai, Wulensi and Chamba and 106 small towns and villages.
“These 106 communities are located along the triangular routes from Salaga to Bimbila through Chamba and
from Salaga to Bimbila through Kpandai including the communities south of Kpandai on the main road to Buya.
She said Feasibility Study for the Project has been completed and the review process is ongoing and the Ghana Water Company Limited is currently engaging some investors who have expressed interest in developing the project with funding from Donor Partners, saying, “Once the financing is arranged, the project will commence.”
Source: EXPRESSNEWSGHANA.com
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