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Water Resource Commission to protect water bodies
Accra, Jan. 15 GNA - The Water Resource Commission in
pursuance of its mandate of protecting water bodies, is
harmonizing existing regulations on the protection of buffer
zones along river bodies that would culminate into the
passage of a Legislative Instrument.
The Commission has observed the rapid rate of decrease in
the quantity and deterioration of the quality of the
country's water resources hence the need for such a policy
and said by convention the acceptable buffer along river
banks was between 30 metres and 50 metres where clearing and
cultivation was forbidden.
A statement signed Mrs Adwoa Munkua Dako, Public Relations
Officer of the Commission, said the indiscriminate clearing
and burning of vegetation along water bodies, especially
during the dry season, and the improper use of land for
agriculture along river banks resulting in erosion and
silting of the river channel as causes for decrease in water
quantity.
It said the uncontrolled dumping and discharge of untreated
domestic and industrial wastes; leaching of agro-chemicals
from farms especially large commercial farms; rotten tree
trunks, as well as fishing practices such as the use of
chemicals accounted for the poor quality of water bodies.
The Commission, therefore, urged the public to live up to
its civic responsibility of ensuring that water resources
were well protected.
It implored especially District Assemblies, Assembly
members, Chiefs, Opinion Leaders, Security Agencies and
Individuals to educate the public on the need to change
negative attitudes to the use of water and rather adopt
proper land use and practices that would promote the
protection and conservation of water bodies.
GNA
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