By Ishmael Junourgh 
Residents praise Mahama, GWL MD Adam Mutawakilu for bringing long-awaited water project to the area
After years of living with inadequate access to reliable potable water, chiefs and residents of Busunu and surrounding communities in the Savannah Region have welcomed the Damongo/Tamale Water Project, describing it as a major step towards addressing one of their most persistent development challenges.
The optimism was evident on Saturday, September 12, 2026, when residents, landowners, farmers, property owners, traditional authorities, women and youth groups and other stakeholders gathered at the Busunu Community Centre for an engagement with officials of Ghana Water Limited (GWL).
The meeting formed part of ongoing stakeholder consultations and the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) studies for the project, which are intended to identify and address the potential social and economic effects of the project on people and properties within the affected areas.
Officials used the engagement to explain the RAP process, provide information on the project and give community members an opportunity to raise concerns, provide information and participate in identifying potential Project Affected Persons (PAPs).
For communities where access to dependable potable water has remained a longstanding challenge, however, the engagement carried a significance beyond the technicalities of a resettlement plan.
The chiefs and people expressed excitement about the prospect of finally receiving a reliable water supply, commending the Managing Director of Ghana Water Limited, Adam Mutawakilu, and President John Dramani Mahama for their roles in advancing the project.
Residents said the project represents more than the construction of water infrastructure, describing it as an intervention capable of improving public health, reducing the burden on households, particularly women and children, and creating better conditions for socio-economic development.
The stakeholder engagement also underscored the importance of ensuring that communities whose lands, farms, homes or other properties may be affected are properly identified, consulted and treated fairly throughout the project.
The consultations are therefore expected to remain an important part of the project’s implementation as Ghana Water Limited works with affected communities and other stakeholders to address concerns and ensure that development does not come at an unfair cost to local residents.
For Busunu and neighbouring communities, the message from the gathering was clear: after years of waiting for water, the long-awaited project has given residents renewed hope that reliable potable water may finally become a reality.
Media Liaison Department, Damongo Water Supply Project, Ghana Water Limited