The Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) in the Upper East region observed its 25th anniversary at Chiana in the Kassena Nankana West district. The celebration was also to reorient the organisation to help provide safe and accessible drinking water to all communities.
The Community Water and Sanitation Agency Act 1998 led to the establishment of CWSA to facilitate the provision of safe water and related sanitation services to rural communities.
According to CWSA, it is worth celebrating the 25th anniversary considering the significant achievements by the Agency over the years across the country. The anniversary was on the theme “25 Years of Sustaining WASH Service: Transforming Rural and Small Towns’ Water Services Delivery Towards National Development.”
Addressing the gathering at the Chiana Senior High School after embarking on a float through the principal streets of Chiana Township with students and others to raise awareness of CWSA’s 25th anniversary, the acting regional Director Dr. Gustav M. Osiakwan said his outfit focuses on achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 6.
“In collaboration with all stakeholders including Development Partners (DPs), RCC and Local Authorities, we aim to bridge the water coverage gap from 37.7% to sustain Sustainable Development Goal number 6 by the year 2030. Goal number 6 says there should be water and sanitation for all by 2030, with an emphasis on safe water supply to each home,” he said.
The paramount Chief of the Chiana traditional area, who also serves as the President of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs, Chiana Pio Pe Ditundini Adiali Ayagitam III, expressed concerns in his address over the lack of maintenance of boreholes in the district. He called on the district assembly and CWSA to intervene.
Kassena-Nankana West District Chief Executive Gerard Ataogye appreciated CWSA’s massive contribution in the district and further called on them to expand their services to all underserved communities there in the future.
Upper East Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu urged all traditional and religious leaders to continue working closely with government agencies to address water issues in the region. The regional minister applauded CWSA for actively managing water and sanitation issues as expected, pledging his support and that of the government for their activities.
Highlighting some of CWSA’s major achievements over the years on behalf of the agency’s Chief Executive Aloysius Adjetey, Patrick Kwenin said, “Since the launch of the NCWSP in 1994 and the establishment of CWSA in 1998, significant progress has been made in providing water, basic sanitation services, hygiene promotion, and practices in communities.”
He cited statistics on water infrastructure, including over 31,000 boreholes, nearly 4,000 hand-dug wells, and thousands of pipe systems.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|David Azure|Ghana
