By
Alexander Nyarko Yeboah, GNA
Volo(V/R), Feb. 20,
GNA – The Volta River Authority (VRA) has commissioned a solar-powered
mechanized borehole for the people of Volo in the North Tongu District of the
Volta Region as part of their social responsibility.
The facility, which
cost 7,380 dollars, is expected to ease the burden on the people of Volo in
their daily struggle to get water and rid them of the many hazards that come
with drinking unsafe water.
In a speech
before handing over the facility at Volo, the Deputy Chief
Executive of VRA, Mr. Ebenezer Koramoa, said clean, accessible and safe
drinking water was a fundamental human right crucial to improving the living
standards of the people.
“This is why VRA
believes that polluted water is not just dirty, but deadly. Therefore, going
the extra mile to provide potable water for impacted communities is a key
social responsibility requirement,” Mr. Koramoa said.
The Deputy Chief
Executive hinted that the goal of VRA was to discourage people from using
untreated water from the Volta river as their main source of drinking water
“because reliance on the untreated river water is one of the main causes of the
bilharzia disease.”
He informed that the
bilharzia average prevalence rate in Volo was 47.7 per cent which was a
worrying development because it did not only call for urgent attention but also
a determined effort by all stakeholders to improve the situation.
The Founder and CEO
of Project Maji, Mr. Sonil Lalvani, hinted that the facility being
solar-powered meant that the facility was free from any energy running cost.
The Paramount Chief
of Volo, Togbe Agbliza Korku, in thanking the VRA for their gesture, asked
members of his community to use and maintain the facility properly.
Togbe Agbliza
pleaded with VRA to provide the community with a standby solar battery “which
will help us alternate power supply anytime there was low current from the
solar panel. Also we want the facility to be extended to various parts of the
community, especially the Volo Health Centre and the palace of the Paramount
Chief.”
Volo is the fifth
community to benefit from such a facility by VRA which was aimed at providing
reliable and sustainable water supply to deprived and bilharzia-endemic
communities along the Volta River.
The water facility
comes with a 5000 litter capacity tank to store water for use when it is not
pumping water at night.
It also has nine
taps thus offering multiple access to the facility simultaneously.
GNA