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Drilling water without licence is an
offence - WRC
Accra, Nov. 22, Ghanadot/GNA - Water Resources Commission (WRC)
on Thursday said water drillers awarded contracts to
undertake any drilling without appropriate licence was an
offence punishable by law.
It therefore, asked the relevant institutions and
individuals to note that with effect from January 2008, a
driller's licence should be obtained before awarding
contracts for water prospecting and drilling to any drilling
company.
The institutions include government agencies, corporate
organisations, metropolitan, municipal and district
assemblies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
A statement issued by WRC in Accra and signed by Mrs Adwoa
Munka Dako, Public Relations Officer was to inform companies
and consultants that a Drilling Licence and Groundwater
Development Regulations, LI 1827, 2006 had been passed by
Parliament and would soon be in force.
It said the LI aimed at regulating in an environmentally
sustainable manner the development of Ghana's groundwater
resources as well as providing licence to companies that
prospect and drill water wells and boreholes.
The LI would in addition, gather information on groundwater
resources availability in Ghana and its exploitation for
effective planning of groundwater development activities.
It is made up of 24 regulations covering the administrative
process for applying and renewing of the licence as well as
notifying the WRC of any well drilling activity.
The regulations also comprise procedures to be followed by
licence holders and water well drillers in the development
and construction of wells, in an environmentally friendly
manner, and the proper abandonment or rehabilitation of
defective wells.
It also provides interpretation of the LI and offences on
non-compliance.
The LI provides unhindered access of WRC officials to sites
of wells to monitor and inspect groundwater development and
use.
GNA
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