The minister at one of the drainage sites during the inspection tour
The perennial flooding that occurs in parts of Accra during the rainy season is expected to reduce significantly following the implementation of the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project by Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies (MMAs).
Under the project, 17 MMDAs received grants to improve the operations and maintenance as well as undertake desilting and dredging of priority secondary and tertiary drainage infrastructure in communities.
A five-day inspection tour is currently being undertaken by the Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLDGRD), Dan Botwe, to assess the progress of the ongoing desilting works on local drains within the Assemblies.
On the first day of the tour, Mr. Botwe visited the Ablekuma West, Central, and North Municipal Assemblies’ project sites including Odorkor, Kwashiman, Kwashibu, Sakamam Awoshie, and Darkoman.
Others are Blue Lagoon, Malam Market, Liberty Down, Golden Rock, Awoshie Water Works area, Chemu Basin, Kaneshie, GRA, Abossey Okai area, Mataheko, Takoradi Lorry Station, Faith Cathedral, and Shukura.
Observations revealed that the MMAs have completed between 70 to 90 per cent of the work.
Commenting on the progress made in these Assemblies, Mr. Botwe reiterated the importance of maintaining and improving drainage infrastructure to ensure the safety of city dwellers.
He indicated that the grant provided by the GARID Project has been instrumental in supporting the Metropolitan Assemblies’ efforts to carry out these essential works.
“I am pleased with the progress made so far- even though some are more impressive than others,” he said while commending the dedication of the Assemblies in executing this task.
He stressed that the project excludes other important interventions by the other Ministries involved in the GARID project, the Ministry of Works and Housing addressing the main Odaw channel as well as the principal Nima and Kaneshie tributaries.
Ablekuma West Municipal Chief Executive, George Cyril Bray, said the GARID Project grant has been an important contribution to the Assembly’s ongoing activities to mitigate floods in its jurisdiction.
“This initiative is essential to maintain the functionality of our drainage systems and mitigate the risks posed by flooding. We appreciate the partnership with the GARID Project and remain committed to further enhancing the resilience of Accra,” he added.
Day Two
On the second day of the inspection, the sector minister Mr. Botwe and his team visited the Korley Klottey, Okaikwe North Municipal, and Accra Metropolitan Assemblies to ascertain the progress of works including the Odawna drain.
The GARID Project Coordinator, Dr. Kwadwo Ohene Sarfoh, expressed satisfaction about the MMAs implementation of the project saying, “They are using the grant to improve the flood resilience of the city.”
He said, “The desilting and dredging of secondary and tertiary drains in beneficiary communities enable the achievement of quick wins in our quest to enhance the resilience of the city.”
The GARID Project aims at improving drainage, solid waste management, and provision of infrastructure in priority flood-prone informal settlements within the Odaw River basin.
The Project is being implemented by the Ministry of Works and Housing, Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, and Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri