By Kodjo Adams, GNA
Dzebetato (V/R), March 15, GNA- The Volta River Authority (VRA) on Thursday commissioned and handed-over 30-unit micro-flush toilet systems to the people of Dzebetato in the South Tongu district of the Volta Region.
The facility, which was constructed by Biofilcom, at the cost of GHc 150,000 is part of the Authority’s corporate social responsibility to respond to the sanitation needs of underserved communities in the country.
A speech read on behalf of Madam Sheila Seidu, the Director, General Services, VRA said the company prioritized issues of sanitation and water especially in communities along the Volta River.
She stated that access to improved toilets and potable water remained critical among the company’s community development activities to help fight the prevalence of diseases such as bilharzia.
The Community is the second to benefit from the facility after Kebenu in the Central Tongu District, where similar 30 units were provided to clustered households.
She announced that, the prevalence rate of the disease in Kebenu had considerably reduced from 84 per cent to 20 per cent, adding that all hand dug pit latrines that breed maggots and flies have been destroyed in the community after the facility was handed-over in Kebenu.
“As a result of the initiative, indiscriminate defecation and urinating around and in the river have stopped. This has led us to extend our support to the people of Dzebetato so we could tell another success story. This can be achieved with the cooperation of all stakeholders”, she added.
Madam Seidu said the gesture was to complement the annual mass drug administration and sensitization efforts between VRA and the Ghana Health Service to help address the menace of bilharzia disease in communities.
She advised the community leaders to take good care of the facility, since maintenance culture had been a challenge in the country.
Togbe Kofi Akpli IV, the Chief of Dzebetato commended VRA for the facility and accepted the initiative in utmost good faith and promised to take care of the project.
Togbe Akpli IV said Dzebeta was a lagoon but since the construction of the Akosombo Dam, life had become difficult for the community members, because 1965 was the last time they saw water in the lagoon, and since then economical activities has been grounded to a halt.
He appealed to the authorities to come to their aid by bringing back the lagoon, for the Dzebetato community to restore it past glory.
The Chief said the community lacked a descent Junior High School classroom block, inadequate street lights, and inaccessibility of the school feeding programme, and appealed to the District Chief Executive to come to their aid and address these problems.
Mr Emmanuel Louis Agama, the District Chief Executive, South Tongu District Assembly said the facility was in line with government policy on sanitation to prevent open defecation in communities and ensure environmental cleanliness.
He assured the community of government resolve to address their challenges, adding that his outfit would adopt the new modern technology facility in the district’s sanitation plans to ensure a safe environment.
Mr Denis Boabeng, the Project Engineer, Biofilcom, said the facility is an off-grid alternative to septic tank that treats faecal matter on site in a digester, and comes with an odour free system and attracts no insects.
He said the company had installed a number of its biofil toilet system for schools, institutions across the country and are currently working on a World Bank funded project for low income communities in 11 districts in Accra.
GNA
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