EPA requests $4m from govt to clear aquatic weeds in Volta River

 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is calling on the government to support it with four million US dollars to clear aquatic weeds that have grown in the Volta River.

EPA said the support will help it eliminate effects of the aquatic weeds on residents such as the spread of Bilharzias disease.

Speaking to Joy news, Head of Renewable Resources Department at EPA, Carl Fiati said the weeds are partly to blame for the “reduction of the volume of the water.”

“The second thing is that the weeds provide refuge for the snail host of the bilharzia worm,” he said adding many communities within the lower Volta are affected by bilharzia.

According to him, the problem has reached the point where the Volta River Authority (VRA) is incapable of containing it.

“We need additional resources to acquire additional harvesters about four more harvesters to be deployed on the lower Volta alone, one on the head pond and two probably on the downstream,” he pleaded.

For more on this story listen to Joy news’ Hotline Documentary on the Super Morning Show on Thursday, June 16, 2016.

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