GWCL Threatens to Shut Down Dalun Plant

Dr Clifford Braimah, Managing Director of Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), has said the company will shut down the water treatment plant due to the effects sand winning activities.

He said this when he visited the water treatment plant at Dalun in the Kumbungu District as part of his working visit to the Northern Region to ascertain the challenges confronting GWCL in the region.

The GWCL draws water from the White Volta at Nawuni for treatment to serve Tamale and its surrounding areas but indiscriminate sand winning activities on the White Volta at Nawuni have led to degradation and siltation of the river, making it a challenge for GWCL to treat water for residents.

Dr Braimah said the cost of treating water for residents in the area had almost quadrupled warning if the situation persisted, the company would have no option but to shut down the water treatment plant in the area.

Contractors depend on sand from the river side at Nawuni to construct properties leading to increased sand winning activities upstream of the river through the use of various machinery including excavators.

In December, last year, the Northern Regional Security Council, led by its Chairman, Mr Salifu Saeed, visited Nawuni to assess the danger posed by sand winning to water treatment in the area and gave a week’s ultimatum to those engaged in sand winning to relocate from the upstream to the downstream of the river to save it from drying.

However, the ultimatum was not heeded.

Dr Braimah urged chiefs and elders in the area to help in the effort to halt sand winning activities in the area to protect the water supply.

He said “Already Tamale has outgrown the capacity of the water supply system and now we are going to put it off, everybody will suffer and that is why we must all join this fight.”

Amidu Mahama, Chief of Dalun, pledged his support to the fight against sand winning in the area saying he would collaborate with all stakeholders to work to salvage the water body.

Source: GNA