An amount of $30 million has been approved by the government for a water supply expansion project at Yendi in the Northern Region.

The Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said the Akufo-Addo government is delighted about the project because of the Municipality’s contribution to the Agric sector.

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah praised Yendi’s contributions to the production of food and cash crops on large scale and the presence of iron ore deposits in the catchment area.

According to the Minister, “The supply of potable water would, therefore, be an impetus to increase production and boost the mining potential,” he told journalists at a press briefing Thursday(January 17 2019).

The development is coming on the back of a successful roadmap on the peace process in the area in relation to the funerals of Ya-Na Mahamadu Abdulai IV and Ya-Na Yakubu II.

Through a credit facility agreement between the government and Indian Exim Bank the project is to be financed.

The Yendi water supply system takes it raw water from River Daka which flows through a water treatment facility built in 1961.

The water supply system serves the Yendi municipality and other surrounding towns and villages.

However, as a result of the population and economic growth in the Yendi Municipality, it has become necessary to enlarge the existing water supply system to meet the demands of beneficiary towns and communities.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah stated that “the expansion of the water supply system is also in line with government’s policy to ensure that by 2030 all people living in Ghana have potable water. He said this explaining the rationale behind the project''.

He added that “The provision of potable water to over 133,000 people through the Yendi project would be a giant step towards achieving this objective.”

The scope of work for this water supply project will include the construction of a 15,000m3/day (3.3MGD) Conventional water treatment plant and construction of a 25km transmission pipelines.

It project also includes the construction of water booster station as well as the construction of reservoirs and rehabilitation and extension of distribution networks, approximately 50km.

The Ofoase Ayirebi MP  said the period of the Yendi Water Supply Project Expansion is expected to take 30 months.

“It is our expectation as a government that the current peaceful air blowing in Yendi after the successful roadmap will help speed up the implementation of this project for citizens in the area,” he said.

According to the MP, further development projects are planned for the area and will be announced in due course.