The Steering Committee of the Freetown WASH and Aquatic Environment Revamping Project (WASHAERP) has on Thursday, November 26, 2020, approved its work plan and budget for 2021.
The approval was agreed at the 2nd WASH Steering Committee meeting held at the conference room of the Ministry of Finance.
The Project Manager, Cephas Oguah said that the approval of the project work plan and budget mean that the main executing agency – Guma, is authorized to carry out the activities in the work plan and in the annual budget.
Mr. Oguah added that the approved work plan and budget will now be submitted to the African Development Bank for final approval; “any activity which has not been captured in the work plan cannot be carried out in the year because there will be no budget for it.”
The WASHAERP was born in 2018 with support from the African Development Bank and 8 other International Development Partners (Kuwait Fund, Islamic Development Bank, Adaption Fund, Green Climate Fund, Netherlands Enterprise Agency, Saudi Fund, OPEC Fund for International Development, ECOWAS Bank) to develop 10 new smaller water sources at Kaningo, Angola Town, Baoma, Mongeba, Hamilton, Waterloo and other communities around the Western Area Peninsular to augment water supply from the Mile 13 Dam.
The project’s overall objective is to improve the water supply by 15% and sanitation services by 7% while ensuring the sustainability of the vital aquatic ecosystem in the Western Area by laying about 250km of distribution pipe works, build new storage facilities, rehabilitate about 10 existing reservoirs, Weirs and Booster stations.
The project will also seek to improve solid and liquid waste collection, treatment and disposal services; provide infrastructure and enhance capacity for the effective protection of the Western Area Protected Forest/Water-shed and promote good sanitation, hygiene and child nutrition practices of the primary beneficiaries (women and girls) while facilitating their gainful participation in the improvement of WASH services.
The Project Steering Committee is chaired by the Minister of Water Resources to provide strategic direction and oversight guidance, and Guma will implement the project together with other relevant agencies by virtue of their statutory responsibilities; and these include Ministries of Finance, Local Government and Rural Development, Agriculture and Forestry, Planning and Economic Development, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Freetown City Council, Western Area District Council, National Water Resources Management Agency, Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission, National Protected Area Authority and WASHNET.
By Stephen V. Lansana
2/12/2020. ISSUE NO: 7961