The project, estimated at the cost of €97 million, ongoing at Agordome, is one of the several water supply initiatives being undertaken by the Government through the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources.

Some communities in southern Volta to benefit include Agordome-Sogakpe, Keta, Anloga and surrounding towns.

Dr Achibald Yao Letsa, the Volta Regional Minister, announced this in Accra on Wednesday during the Minister's briefing, dubbed: "The State of the Region Report.

The media encounter enabled the Minister to update the public on the various infrastructure projects and social interventions executed by the Government since 2017.

Some of the sectors highlighted were agriculture, water and sanitation, road infrastructure, health and education as well as the tourism potentials of the region.

He explained that the water project formed part of the government's extensive infrastructure development programme, designed to strengthen economic growth and create job opportunities, while ensuring better living conditions for her rapidly growing population.

It involves the rehabilitation of the existing Keta Water Treatment Plant in Agordome to restore production to its full capacity of 7,200 cubic metres per day, construction of a new water treatment facility in the city with a capacity of 35,000 cubic meters per day, transmission pipelines, a booster station and reservoirs.

There was also an €11.5 million water project completed for five districts and undergoing testing, which would benefit about 80,000 residents in the region.

On agriculture, Dr Letsa said a total of 157,095 farmers, comprising 111,069 males and 46,026 females, had been registered under the Planting for Food and Jobs and benefiting from improved seedlings and other farm inputs supplied by the government to boost food production.

Under the Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD), he said 3,000 cashew seedlings were supplied to farmers while an irrigation scheme at Torgome was benefiting 12,000 inhabitants ensuring the cultivation of crops twice a year.

Dr Letsa announced that the Ho and Hohoe municipalities were selected to benefit from the Ghana Secondary Cities Support Programme, which received urban management and basic urban services and facilities.

The Ho Municipality, for instance, got 228 lockable stores, 72 unit water-closet facilities, revenue post and pavement of the floor.

The Hohoe Municipality received a central market, 106 lockable stores, 144 unit of store sheds, 16 garages and a creche, as well as health, police and fire posts.

On road infrastructure, Dr Letsa indicated that there were bitumen surfacing and upgrading works ongoing across the region including the dualisation of the 10.5km Ho main road, 15km asphalt overlay of Hohoe Municipality, upgrading of 2.44km Klefe town roads and the construction of 175-metre Span Steel bridge linking Agbenorxoe to Dafor-Tornu.

There Eastern Corridor Road projects were also progressing steadily.

On illegal sand winning in Keta and Ketu South municipalities, he said it was a "big challenge" but a taskforce had been formed to clampdown on the menace, describing it as "Volta galamsey".