Samuel Atta Akyea
The Minister for Works and Housing, Samuel Atta Akyea, has outlined major projects the ministry has implemented as part of the Coastal Protection Project (CCP).
The project is seeking to protect the beaches against encroachment, environmental degradation and mitigating the negative social and economic consequences of beach erosion.
The minister, at a media briefing at the Ministry of Information in Accra on Wednesday, said the government had the responsibility to safeguard lives and property and to promote socio-economic activities, especially for those living along the coastline.
“Over the past year, the ministry has continued the implementation of a number of coastal protection works. These works have ranged from the construction of armour rock revetment with beach stabilization and lateritic backfilling, to the construction of armour rock groynes and breakwater structures to protect lives and properties while safeguarding the livelihood of the people living along the coast,” he said.
According to the minister, the 1.9km Coastal protection works near Takoradi in the Western Region was completed last year and already, the inhabitants of Adjoa were experiencing the positive impact of the project.
He added that, the 4.3km Blekusu CPP in the Volta Region and the 4.0km New Takoradi Emergency Sea Defence Project (Phase II) at Elmina in the Central Region had also been completed.
“Also, the 2.0km Dansoman Emergency Sea Defence Project in the Greater Accra Region has continued and is currently 85% complete, while the 5.0km Axim CPP in the Western Region is 73% complete. Additionally, the 2.0km Amanful Kumah CPP is about 60% complete, while the 5.0km Anomabu CPP is currently about 39% complete,” he stated.
The Works and Housing Minister further added that, the CPP at Dixcove, Cape Coast, Komenda and Elmina are at various stages of completion and progressing steadily, saying “also, the contractors working on the Aboadze Phase II and Ningo-Prampram CPP are currently mobilizing to site to commence actual construction works.”
According to him, other coastal settlements such as Takoradi, Shama, Apam, Kokrobite, Bortianor, Nungua, Dansoman, Mensah Guinea, Essipong, Anyanui and Blekusu continue to remain under serious threat against tidal wave destruction and erosion.
Accordingly, he said the ministry had programmed to extend its coastal protection works to these communities in the medium term.
“What is uppermost in the mind of the ministry is to reclaim lands from the sea for world class tourism development. This is how we convert a menace to a veritable source of foreign exchange. The sure example of this creativity is the hotel facility called Dan Hotel in Tel-Aviv,” he added.
By Melvin Tarlue