Irrigation authority calls for govt intervention to reclaim its lands at Dawhenya
The Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) has called for the government’s intervention to enable it to recover its lands that have been encroached upon by estate developers at the Dawhenya Irrigation Scheme (DIS) site in the Greater Accra Region.
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According to the Director of Project Development Department of GIDA, Mr Stephen Maclean, the encroachment by estate developers, individuals and some traditional authorities had derailed the implementation of some irrigation projects.
“Almost half of the land has been encroached upon and all efforts to get the encroachers off these government lands have proven futile. Unless a decisive action such as demolition of the unauthorised structures is taken by the government, the DIS will collapse,” he indicated.
The director made the call in an interview the Daily Graphic conducted at the DIS last Tuesday to ascertain the state of affairs at the authority.
Mr Maclean explained that the DIS had planned to construct another dam to expand the irrigation potential of the area but the encroachment of its lands had stalled the process.
According to him, the irrigation scheme at Dawhyenya had not only ensured food security but also provided employment opportunities to a good number of indigenes of the area.
Background
The DIS was developed by the defunct State Farms Corporation in 1959 with the objective of providing vegetables for the Accra-Tema Metropolitan area. Construction works started in 1975 and completed in 1978. It had a total irrigable area of 450 hectares.
The irrigation facility at Dawhenya is a site for the production of local perfumed rice, green house technology project which currently produces flowers for export, and aquaculture projects.
The DIS hosts an earth dam which provides water into a reservoir through electrical pumping system into canals to feed the fields.
A company operating on the encroached land. Picture: EDNA ADU-SERWAA
Observations
When the Daily Graphic was conducted round the facility, it observed that even though there were some writings on some structures warning encroachers, more structures were being developed.
The portion of the land bordering the Central University was the most affected by the activities of encroachers.
Some private investors were also making effective use of the developed land.
For instance,Shan Quan Company Limited, a Chinese company, had its workers undertaking aquaculture at 11 functional fish ponds where tilapia is harvested for sale on local markets.
Another company, Flowers and Green, a floral company, which employs 150 local workers, was also undertaking its business in earnest.
Failed attempts
The Scheme Manager of the DIS, Mr Benedictus Agbeko, said previous efforts were made by his outfit in collaboration with the Ningo-Prampram District Assembly and the military to address the issue had not been successful.
He bemoaned the recent activities of Fulani herdsmen, who have also occupied portions of the land.