All drilling companies must be registered with the Water Resources Commission (WRC). Among other things, the registration would help the WRC monitor the activities of the drilling companies and ensure that they do right by their clients.
The WRC would also build the capacity of the drilling companies to collect data around underground water and the usage of the same across the country.
The Head of the White Volta Basin with the Water Resources Commission, Jesse Kazapoe, made these comments when he spoke with A1 Radio’s Mark Smith on the Day Break Upper East Show yesterday, Wednesday, April 24, 2024.
“Drilling companies which have rigs are supposed to be licensed. This is where we are all supposed to help each other. These companies are supposed to drill boreholes on behalf of people and provide us with data, but most of them don’t. So we have a cause to complain about them. They don’t even employ the right people who would be able to log the data and give us the right information to plan,” he said.
The data, according to Mr. Kazapoe, is necessary to help the country plan properly.
“We need to plan because as a nation, we should be able to tell how much water we have underground. Other nations have done that; which amount is safe for drinking, which amount should we use for irrigation because we cannot drink, which amount cannot be used because the elements in them are so high that if we want to use them, it may cause harm to us, our bodies, or any other thing,” he said.
The Water Resources Commission (WRC) in Ghana is a regulatory body established under the Water Resources Commission Act, 1996 (Act 522). It oversees the management and allocation of water resources across the country. Its main functions include regulating water abstraction through permits, promoting Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) principles, collecting and managing water-related data, developing policies for water resource management, resolving conflicts among stakeholders, and conducting capacity building and awareness campaigns.
The WRC plays a crucial role in ensuring sustainable and equitable access to water resources in Ghana. By issuing permits and licenses, it regulates the use of water to prevent overexploitation and depletion of water sources. Additionally, through its policy development and implementation efforts, the commission promotes the responsible management of water resources while addressing conflicts and raising public awareness about the importance of water conservation and sustainable use.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
