Illegal Structures On GWCL Pipelines To Be Demolished

By Stephen K. Effah
Tuesday, 12 February 2008

Illegal structures along the area earmarked for Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) pipelines from Awoshie through to Abeka in Accra, face demolition, the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Boniface Alhaji Abubakar Saddique, has stated.

This is to facilitate the laying of pipes from the Weija Treatment Plant to Accra East to ensure free flow of treated water in the area.

Owners of affected structures to be demolished were unable to provide permits on their buildings when contacted by officials of the GWCL and the contractor.

Alhaji Saddique said this in Accra yesterday when he inspected progress of work on the Accra East and Accra West Inter-connection project being funded by the governments of Ghana, Denmark and the Netherlands.

The project encompasses expansion of the Weija Treatment Plant and laying of pipes from Mallam Junction to the Legon Booster Station. Started last year, the project will be completed in November, this year.

Alhaji Saddique said the water requirement of Accra is 150 million gallons daily but current supply is about 55 million gallons.

"Accra’s population is growing at 2.1 per cent while that of water is only one per cent," he noted.
He said 180 million dollars is needed to expand the Kpong Treatment Plant to produce about 40 million gallons of water daily to Accra to augment the inadequate supply.

He said the project when completed, will ease the problem of water shortages in Accra East, which covers Madina, Legon, Haatso, Agbogba and its environs.

Mr Pinkney Raymond, Construction Manager of Ballast Nedam, a Dutch firm and executors of the project, said about 60 per cent of work is complete and assured the Minister that work is on schedule.

Prof. Mike Oquaye, MP for Dome-Kwabenya, who accompanied the Minister, was happy about progress of work so far, noting that the issue of water shortage in the Accra East would soon be over.

He noted that Taifa, for instance, has for years experienced acute water shortage in the metropolis making life unbearable for residents. He urged the contractors to speed up work for water to flow to the people in the area soon.