Aerial view of the Tesa Dam
The Presidency has announced that structures around the Tesa Dam near the East Legon Boundary Road in Accra will be demolished to help address flooding in the area.
The Presidency, in a Facebook post on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 said the decision was taken after a flood mitigation team, during an inspection, found that the size of the dam had been significantly reduced due to encroachment.
According to the inspection team, some individuals had erected walls within the area, while parts of the land had been taken over by slum settlements made up of wooden structures.
“At the Tesa Dam adjacent to the Boundary Road, some individuals have constructed illegal retaining walls within the area, and these structures have been marked for demolition. The team also identified a dense slum settlement near the dam comprising largely wooden structures. The settlement was found to pose serious health and sanitation concerns.
“Following the assessment, the affected area has been marked for demolition as part of efforts to restore the dam’s capacity and mitigate future flooding risks,” the post stated.
The exercise forms part of the government’s efforts to demolish illegal structures on waterways following the recent floods in Accra, which destroyed property and claimed about 37 lives.
The floods affected several communities, damaged businesses and disrupted transportation.
The torrential rains also prompted rescue operations by the military, police, the Ghana National Fire Service, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), and other emergency response teams.
The government has also declared today and tomorrow as National Sanitation Days in the seven regions affected by the recent floods.
In a statement issued by the Presidency on Monday, July 6, 2026, it said the clean-up exercise, which includes desilting choked drains, sweeping and other sanitation measures, would help reduce flooding.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah