World Vision to drill 800 boreholes in 5 regions

The beneficiary regions are Volta, Brong Ahafo, Northern, Upper East and Upper West.

The Co-ordinator for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene at World Vision Ghana, Mr David Nunoo, who announced this at a durbar to mark World Water Day in Tamale yesterday, further stated that as part of its five-year plan, the NGO would further facilitate the construction of over 6,000 latrines through the Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) project.

“We will also provide 75 gender-sensitive institutional latrines in schools and health centres,” he stated.

Mr Nunoo indicated that the organisation was working tirelessly to increase access of many rural households to potable water and sanitation services in line with efforts to help the country meet the various targets set by the global partners that made up the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

“In the area of water provision, since 1985, the organisation has drilled 2,518 boreholes in 1,679 communities and schools,” he said.

He explained that the provision of water went hand in hand with the provision of sanitation and hygiene, adding that World Vision had facilitated the construction of 12,189 household latrines.

He said some aspects of the plan would focus on undertaking behavioural change campaigns to engender a change in attitude towards sanitation.

“We have targeted 60,000 schoolchildren for education on improved sanitation and hygiene practices,” Mr Nunoo  stated, adding that those children would also be provided with handwashing facilities.

The Northern Regional Co-ordinating Director, Alhaji Alhassan Issahaku, said the government was working assiduously to address the current water challenges facing parts of the country.

He, however, maintained that if efforts were not made to stop the wastage of fresh water, the nation would continue to face crisis.

“We have to reduce the pollution of fresh water bodies and also check the misuse or wastage of treated water,” he said.

The Northern Regional Manager of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Mr Gilbert Quaye, said the production of water had become more challenging because a lot of resources were expended in treating fresh water that had been polluted for human consumption.

He said some investors were exploring avenues to produce potable water from the Oti River to distribute to Yendi and surrounding communities.

Story by Nurudeen Salifu