By Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Lydia Seyram Alhassan, has assured action on the challenges encountered at the Weija and Kpong Water Treatment Plants subsequent to her visit to acquaint herself with their operations and address immediate issues.
The visit uncovered notable challenges such as the requirement for financial support to facilitate expansion plans, encroachment on land, and the adverse effects of sand mining activities.
”We have just seen encroachment on our land recently. Kpong used to be a restricted area but with this railway line that is passing here, it is introducing a lot of people to our land, so encroachment has also become a problem which we need to deal with.”
Yaw Adjei, the Station Manager of the Kpong Treatment Plant, voiced apprehension regarding encroachment on their land, which he attributed to the construction of nearby railway lines.
Likewise, the Project Manager at the Weija Water Treatment Plant underscored the persistent challenge of encroachment and emphasized the necessity for ongoing demolition and prevention measures.
“On the plant, you can even see a lot of buildings springing up and there is supposed to be a continuous process. We demolish, we prevent people from coming in, but we demolish a bit, we relax, and people come and build beyond that point.”
In the meantime, Minister Alhassan affirmed that her ministry is working in conjunction with the Ministry of National Security to effectively tackle these issues.
She further confirmed ongoing efforts to secure funding for the continuous expansion of the plants, which encompasses the replacement of old pipes.
“Funding to have most of the pipes replaced is top on my agenda. National Security came in to resolve some of the challenges so we would ensure that it continues.”
