By Maxwell Awumah
Ho, March 26, GNA – The Volta Regional Directorate of the Ghana Water Limited(GWL) has upheld the agreement reached by the Technical Sub-Committee of the Afadzato South Assembly concerning the development of land at Kpeve Tornu by Stallion BSK Ghana Company Limited.
The land in question cascades into the buffer zone at the intake point of the Kpeve Headworks of the GWL.
Mr Francis Lamptey, Regional Chief Manager of GWL, who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said his outfit accepted the conclusion reached by the stakeholders, including the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).
“We have no objection to the said development, which has been permitted by the Afadzato South District Assembly and the assurance given by the Volta Regional Director of EPA.”
The GWL and the Regional Directorate of the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) jointly raised issues with an estate developer, Stallion BSK, in close proximity to its Intake point at Kpeve Headworks.
They contended that interaction between the buffer zone and the watershed environment, whose vegetation was cleared by the developer could increase siltation to the intake by virtue of the slope, which could result in in the reduction in volume of raw water to be extracted and increase turbidity beyond treatability, since the plant lacked coagulant dosing system clarifiers or sedimentation tanks to treat high turbidity.
The Volta Regional Coordinating Council, in its letter dated 12th February, 2025, instructed the Afadzato South Assembly to implement necessary measures for developers operating near the intake point of the Kpeve Headworks of GWL.
The letter signed by Mr Augustus Awity, Chief Director of VRCC, requested an investigation and review of the report and ensure adherence by the developer to all environmental protocols to safeguard the intake point.
This led to the formation of a Technical Sub-Committee comprising key stakeholders to dialogue on the matter, with a report, which revealed that the frequent
breakdown of pumps at the Kpeve Headworks, did not result from the developer, Stallion BSK Company’s action.
The Committee then requested the developer Stallion BSK to furnish them with an Environmental Assessment Impact status and all other technical information and roadmap to address the emerging issues.
The issues ranged from how to deal with dust pollution during the constructional phase, silt and soil erosion management, solid and liquid waste management during construction and operation, and submit a bathymetric survey of GWL at the intake before and after the construction phase.
Other requests are an updated Environmental Management Plan from the EPA for assessment and certification and submission of a stakeholder engagement plan to the Afadzato South Assembly, which were delivered.
The stakeholders, including the Lands Commission, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and the Afadzato South District Assembly upheld the developer’s claims with documentary evidence.
Contrary to these, Mr Philip Agbezudor, Regional Director of PURC, said earlier media reportage that drew a direct linkage between clearing of vegetation on the buffer zone and water shortage to Ho, the regional capital was mis-reportage.
He said two challenges that presented itself at the Kpeve Headworks were the frequent breakdown of the only pump then, which had been fixed and secondly the clearance on the buffer zone.
“For the fear of the unknown, we raised issues of proximity, pollution, turbidity and other human activities that was likely to infringe on the sanity of the intake point.”
Mr Agbezudor said sighting development in the buffer zone or closely to it could become an upshot of environmental challenges likely to breach standards, in this case at Kpeve Tornu, where GWL intake point is located.
A Ghana News Agency investigation revealed that the EPA attested to receiving the above documents, including the environmental monitoring plan and provisional Management Plan that addresses all the concerns raised during the Technical Committee meeting held at Afadzato South in February, 2025.
The EPA under its Regional Director, Mr Maxwell Zu-Cudjoe, assured of deploying a compliance monitoring measures during the constructional and operational phases of the project to ensure that all the environmental impacts were mitigated by the developer.
GNA
MA/CA