The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) is partnering Madam Comfort Doyoe Ghansah, Member of Parliament for Ada East, to complete a water project for the people.

The project dubbed: “Wasakuse Water Project,” involves the dredging of the 12-kilometre water body, which is an extension of the Volta River to Wasakuse and Toflokpoe in the Dangme East District of Greater Accra Region.

The Wasaku water body had dried up due to the damming of the Volta River, and a number of years of neglect led to the death of communities that depended on it, leading to abject poverty and even forcing some parents to send their wards into child slavery.

An estimated 60,000 people are said to have left the area as a result of the problem.

The livelihood of more than 55,000 people is expected to be restored through the rejuvenation of farming, fishing and other agri-businesses when the project is completed.

Additionally, the restoration of the river would help the people of Ada-Foah and its environs to restart their annual pilgrimage to Okor Forest, which was stalled because of the drying up of the river.

To ensure the success of the project, NADMO provided earth moving equipment such as excavators, tractors and bulldozers for dredging.

It also provided tanks and water tankers to supply water to communities without any source of water.

Madam Doyoe said: “This project has brought smiles on the faces of my people who now have the opportunity again of engaging in fishing, farming and other viable economic ventures to put money in their pocket.”

She commended NADMO and the Japanese government for the enormous support to the success of the project.

Mr Ebenezer Dosoo, Deputy Coordinator of NADMO noted that the need to rescue and restore the ecology of the area motivated the Organisation to act on the wings of the United Nations Drylands initiative to start this project on pilot basis.

“We were fortunate to have received government backing and support for such a project, which was in the spirit of government’s plans to better the lives of the people in the area,” he said.

He announced that the critical aspect of the project would be the tree planting and woodlot development for environmental regeneration.

He expressed excitement about the project saying: “The project will revive the economic opportunities of the area and provide employment for (more than) 58, 000 people in and around the Ada East District,” he said.

Source: GNA