President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Wednesday broke the ground for the construction of the USD30 million Yendi Water Supply Project in the Yendi Municipality in the Northern Region.

The project, being financed with an India Exim Bank facility, is to meet the water demand of the Yendi municipality and other localities in the area for the next 20 years.

The communities earmarked to benefit from the Project, upon completion, include; Yendi, Ghani (Ngani), Sambu, Adobo, Sokoli, Nakpachei, Gbungbalaga and Kuga.

At a ceremony at Yendi, President Akufo-Addo said the project, which is a fulfilment of a pledge he made to Yaa-Na Mahama Abukari II at the 2019 Damba Festival, signalled the beginning of infrastructural development in the area.

He pointed out that it had become necessary to construct a new water system for the area because the original Yendi Water Supply System, constructed some 59 years ago, and which had since not seen any form of rehabilitation, was no longer capable of meeting the water demands of Yendi and its environs because of the considerable increase in population and economic growth.

The President told the Regent of Dagbon, the Yaa-Na that he would ensure that every project he promised to undertake in the area would be executed, saying, “Yaa-Na Mahama Abukari II, when I told you that ‘great days lie ahead of Dagbon’, this is what I meant, as this Project signals the beginning of infrastructural development for Yendi. And, as you know by now, when Akufo-Addo makes a promise, he keeps it.”

He reiterated that Government was unwavering in its commitment to protecting the country’s water-bodies, that serve as the sources for the provision of potable drinking water for the Ghanaian people.

“We continue to wage war against, and intensify our resolve to curb the activities of illegal miners (galamseyers), sand winning and farming along the banks of our water bodies, which lead to their pollution,” he added.

President Akufo-Addo expressed also the appreciation of his administration to the Indian Government for making available the financing for the Yendi Water Supply Project, which would bring tremendous benefits to the people of the area.

He enjoined the contractors working on the project, Messrs. WAPCOS Ltd of India, to complete it on schedule.