The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has handed over two hand-pumped and two mechanized boreholes to the Bongo District Assembly as part of its corporate social responsibility to communities without access to safe drinking water.
Speaking on behalf of the Executive Secretary of PURC, Dr. Shafic Suleman, the Upper East Regional Manager, Mohammed Adams Suleimana, said the boreholes are located in Lungo, Sikabiisi, Sambolgo, and Balungu.
“It is an initiative taken by PURC to drill boreholes and hand them over to communities that do not have potable drinking water,” Mr. Suleimana said. “Once the projects are completed, we hand them over to the district assembly to manage. It is part of our corporate social responsibility.”
He explained that PURC works with the Ghana Water Company to ensure that the water is safe for consumption.
“PURC supervises in collaboration with the Ghana Water Company because we have to ensure that the water is safe. It should not pose a health threat to the people. The Ghana Water Company is one of the stakeholders that ensured this project was successfully completed,” he said.
Mr. Suleimana noted that despite Bongo hosting the Vea Dam, which is considered one of the cleanest water sources in Ghana, residents near the dam cannot directly use the water.
“The unfortunate thing is that we have the Vea Dam. I’m told it is among the cleanest water sources in Ghana, yet people living close to it cannot use it directly,” he said. “Fortunately, there is a lot of water underground, so we decided to explore that option and drill boreholes for the communities.”
He added that neither the Ghana Water Company nor the Community Water and Sanitation Agency currently operates in the area, and timelines for piped water remain uncertain.
“We do not know when piped water will reach Bongo and these communities,” he said.
According to the PURC regional manager, Bongo has been the biggest beneficiary of such interventions in the Upper East Region so far, with more projects planned.
“A lot more projects are coming up, and we will continue to engage the communities as we move forward,” he added.
On sustainability, Mr. Suleimana stressed that both the community and the district assembly must take responsibility for maintenance and operational costs, particularly for the mechanized boreholes.
“These are not hand-pumped systems. They are mechanized, meaning they require electricity,” he said. “Even the polytank was provided by PURC. The community must ensure they are able to pay for electricity to keep the system running. Without electricity, they cannot pump water.”
The Member of Parliament for the Bongo Constituency, Lawyer Charles Bawaduah, and the District Chief Executive, Madam Diana Asoketarige Ayamga, expressed appreciation to PURC for the intervention. Speaking at the handover ceremony, Mr. Bawaduah described the project as a significant boost for the people of the district.
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