The long-awaited Tamale-Damongo Water Supply Project is expected to commence by mid-2027 and take about 24 months to complete, Ghana Water Limited (GWL) has announced.
The disclosure was made at a stakeholder engagement with the West Gonja Municipal Assembly in Damongo as GWL advances preparations for the €216 million project, funded with support from the European Union.
The project is expected to extend potable water supply to communities along the project corridor and connect up to 5,000 households through a pipeline network.
GWL said all stakeholder consultations are expected to be completed by the end of 2026 to pave the way for construction.
As part of the ongoing Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) studies, the company has also set October 1, 2026, as the cut-off date for determining Project Affected Persons (PAPs).
Residents, landowners, farmers, property owners and other persons with interests in areas that may be affected by the project have therefore been urged to make themselves available when the project team visits their communities and properties.
The engagement, led by GWL’s Northern Regional Chief Manager, Engineer Braimah Rashid Soale, forms part of the third phase of consultations covering Tamale, Damongo, Busunu, Yapei and other areas along the transmission and distribution corridors.
Assembly members used the meeting to demand clarity on the project’s coverage and timelines, particularly whether communities including Kinanto, Canteen, SOR 1, SOR 2, SOR 3, Mognori, Murugu, Langatere, Bidima and Lorto would benefit.
They also raised concerns about inadequate or unsafe water sources in some of the communities and called for reservoirs and other measures to ensure reliable supply.
The Assembly Member for Canteen called for a reservoir for the Canteen Zone and urged the project contractor to prioritise qualified youth from Damongo for employment.
GWL’s Manager for Environmental and Social Safeguards, Abdul Fatawu Tambro, said the company would create employment opportunities for local youth, but stressed the need for discipline and good work ethics.
He said the project would primarily serve urban areas in line with GWL’s mandate, but communities along the project route would also benefit through heavy-duty polytanks.
Mr Tambro said water would be delivered directly to households through pipelines and standpipes, with a target of connecting a maximum of 5,000 households.
He disclosed plans for major reservoirs at Busunu, Damongo, Mole and Larabanga to support the system.
He also assured residents that the completed GWL water system at Broto would be put to use, following concerns from the Assembly Member for Dass, Hafiz Kamara, over the facility remaining unused despite the resources invested in it.
GWL further appealed to traditional authorities to help resolve and expedite documentation relating to land litigation that could delay the project.
Municipal Chief Executive, Yakubu Yussif Castro, reaffirmed the Assembly’s support for the project and pledged to work with GWL to facilitate its implementation.
The direct community engagements under the RAP process are expected to continue throughout September, giving affected persons an opportunity to receive information, raise concerns and provide details required for the assessment.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
