The Parliamentary Select Committee on Water Resourc­es and Sanitation has embarked on a two-day tour of the Northern Region to assess challenges in water supply and sanitation.

Led by its chairman, Mr John Oti Bless, the committee inspected the Dalun Water Treatment Plant of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) in the Kum­bungu District and the Zoomlion waste treatment facility at Gbalahi, a suburb of Tamale.

The visit formed part of govern­ment’s broader efforts to address the persistent water shortages con­fronting communities in Tamale, Yendi, Damongo, Savelugu and other areas.

Speaking to the media in Tamale after the tour, Mr Bless said the visit was crucial in helping the committee understand the realities on the ground.

“We have received several complaints about the Tamale water system, especially during the dry seasons.

The people of Tamale and sur­rounding districts have expressed frustration over this situation.

As a committee, we felt it was important to come and see things for ourselves,” he said.

He explained that the committee would present its findings to Parlia­ment to guide policy decisions and attract support for critical interven­tions.

He also disclosed that the government was in discussions with the European Union (EU) and other development partners to mobilise resources to help resolve the water crisis in the north.

Mr Bless expressed concern about illegal sand winning activities around the Dalun treatment plant, describing them as a major threat to water bodies.

He said the committee would work with the Water Resources Commission and local assemblies to enforce by-laws to curb the practice.

“The by-laws must be applied strictly. Once people know they will face fines or imprisonment, they will stop. That is the only language some people understand,” he stressed.

He further appealed to resi­dents to support the Ghana Water Company in protecting the Dalun facility and keeping its machines in good condition for year-round water supply.

During the tour, the Northern Regional Manager of GWCL, Mr Stephen Amihere-Mensah, told the committee that the Dalun plant, built in 1972 with a daily pro­duction capacity of 30,000 cubic metres, was designed to serve fewer than 100,000 people.

The facility was expanded in 2008 to 45,000 cubic metres when Tamale’s population was below 400,000.

However, with the current pop­ulation exceeding 1.4 million, the system is severely overstretched.

“What you see are the same pumps installed in 1972, still in operation. The ones added in 2015 are less robust and frequently break down, forcing us to fabricate spare parts locally,” he said.

The committee assured residents that it remained committed to advocating urgent measures to im­prove water supply and sanitation in the region.