The Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources Cecilia Abena Dapaah, has today paid a working visit to the construction sites of the two sewerage system facilities at Ashaiman Newton and Bankuman communities in the Tema and Ashaiman Municipalities.
The visit was to enable the sector Minister inspect various ongoing drainage and sewerage projects in these areas under the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) SW Project.
Addressing the media, the sector Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah expressed satisfaction with the project and commended the contractors for a good work done despite covid-19 challenges. She, however, urged the contractors to work diligently to finish the project on time.
Myself and the MCE, we are happy with the level of work but I want to entreat the contractors as well as the consultants to work diligently to make sure these projects are completed on time,” she stated.
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The quality and pace of work is good and the collaboration between the consultant and the contractor is commendable,” she added.
The Minister hinted that the government is considering extending the similar facilities to constructed in other areas to help improve sanitation across the country.
Our aim is to ensure that every Ghanaian have access to proper sanitation and we are on course in achieving the SDG goal 6 which is “clean water and sanitation for all by 2030. So, we will not rest on our oars. What is left is for us not to be littering plastics around,” she urged.
Project Coordinator for the GAMA project, Engineer George Asiedu, on his part noted that the two projects form part of government policy to increase access to improve sanitation and that the ultimate goal is to have conventional sewage system to manage the country’s sewage.
He explained that the two projects which are at different stages of completion are expected to be completed in December this year even though construction was stalled due to Covid-19.
Contract for the projects were signed in March 2020 but construction started in May due to Covid-19 but we however expect completion of the projects in December,” he acknowledged.
The Ministry of Sanitation together with the GAMA Sanitation and Water Project signed a contract with Bothaa Company Limited and Vuluxx company limited to construct a separate sewerage system for Ashaiman Newton and Bankuman communities in the Tema and Ashaiman Municipalities.
Ashaiman Sewerage Network Project is a sanitation project which involves the construction of a new simplified sewerage network covering Ashaiman New Town community and rehabilitation of an existing sewerage network in the TDC Quarters both located in the Ashaiman Municipality.
The existing but abandoned sewage treatment pond shall also be reconstructed an increased treatment capacity of 1,800 m3/d. The treated effluent shall be disposed off into the Gbemi stream.
Approximately 4,800 households (over 24,000 people) shall benefit from the project.
The total cost of the project is GHc 21m. Progress is about 25% now.
Bankuman Simplified Sewerage Project, on the other hand, is a sanitation project which involves the laying of new collector sewer lines, rehabilitation of existing trunk sewer lines and construction of a new sewage treatment plant that will connect people in the Bankuman community where faecal sludge shall be treated before discharging into the sea.
Approximately 800 households (over 6,000 people) shall benefit from the project.
The total cost of the project is GHc 5.7m. Progress is about 30% now.
