A $30million dam has been constructed at the White Water Community to serve inhabitants of the host community, Mountain Cut, Mount Aureol Terrace, Parliament, the new Foreign Affairs Office and other surrounding neighborhoods.
Funds for the construction of the six million-litre reservoir, which now supplies water to these communities, was provided by the Indian Government as part of its collaborative effort in promoting remote communities in the country with clean drinking water.
On Monday evening, the Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Oluniyi Robin Coker together with officials of Guma Valley Water Company and the Energy Ministry, officially commissioned the dam, even though it has been serving the community for the past weeks.
Sanjiv Srivastava, the Chief Engineer for Angelique International Limited, an Indian-based Engineering Company which constructed the facility, said that the water was sourced from the Botanical Gardens at Fourah Bay College, and treated with chlorine at the Barham Road Reservoir close to the White Water Bridge leading to FBC campus.
He said over 5,000 people will benefit from the supply, and with improvement on the facility over time, more people and institutions will have access to it.
He mentioned that the Indian government has, at the initial point, provided chlorine for the treatment of water before distribution, and that the government through Guma will make future arrangements for maintenance and treatment of the facility.
Energy Minister Oluniyi R. Coker, while receiving the keys from the Chief Engineer, said that the ministry wants to ensure that the people have access to well-treated drinking water, as it is their mandate to do so. He revealed that beneficiaries of the project have been without water for the past 15 years; a situation he said the ministry was not pleased about. He added that the provision of water for the communities is just the beginning of many more facilities that are underway for vulnerable communities in the country.
Board Chairperson of Guma Valley Water Company Dr. Nana Pratt said that the project is geared towards Guma’s effort to reach out to vulnerable and deprived communities. She advised that inhabitants should be watchful of the facility so that it would serve the intended purpose.
She said that in the area of treatment, Guma is going to install a mini laboratory to ensure proper treatment and care before distribution.
By Poindexter Sama
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