Francis Asenso-Boakye
THE GOVERNMENT has announced a series of interventions to tackle the perennial flooding in the capital, key among them being the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) project.
At a press briefing in Accra yesterday, the Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, announced that the procurement process for the engagement of a contractor for the dredging of the Odaw channel, which falls under the GARID project, is “far advanced” and would be concluded by the end of the month.
The GARID project is a government initiative being implemented in collaboration with the World Bank, with the objective of mitigating flood risk and addressing the solid waste management challenges in the Odaw Drainage Basin in Accra.
According to the minister, the draft detailed engineering designs for the construction of priority drainage interventions at Kaneshie, Nima and Achimota have been completed and are currently being jointly reviewed by his ministry and the World Bank.
It is expected that the construction works, together with “other important interventions” including the construction of retention ponds in the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission area will commence by the end of the year.
The minister also announced that the designs for a Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) for Accra have been completed, while the processes leading to the engagement of a service provider to deliver the system have also commenced.
“With the Early Warning System, people in vulnerable communities will have the benefit of advanced notice of flooding so they can take steps to protect their lives and their valuables,” he stressed.
“Beyond the GARID project, the reinstallation, maintenance and monitoring of hydrological gauging stations within the White Volta, Oti and Pra river basins to enhance the country’s preparedness for flood events have been undertaken. The ministry aims to extend the coverage to other significant water bodies,” he noted.
Sea Defence
Touching on the much-talked about coastal management programme otherwise known as ‘Sea Defence’, Mr. Asenso-Boakye intimated that government considers the protection of the country’s coastline “very critical to our development.”
Government, therefore, has so far implemented several coastal protection projects to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of people living in coastal communities which are “either completed or at various stages of completion.” These include the 5-kilometre Axim Coastal Protection Project; 2-kilometre Amanful Kumah Coastal Protection Project, both of which are 100 per cent completed, and a 2-kilometre Dansoman Emergency Sea Defence Project [97% complete]; 3-kilometre Komenda Coastal Protection Project [95% complete] and a 5-kilometre New Takoradi Emergency Coastal Protection Project (Phase III) at Elmina [85% complete].
Other projects also include a 5-kilometre Cape Coast Coastal Protection Project [80% complete]; a 5-kilometre Anomabu Coastal Protection Project [75% complete]; a 5-kilometre Ningo-Prampram Coastal Protection Project [50% complete]; 2.4-kilometre Dixcove Coastal Protection Project [45% complete]; and a 5-kilometre Aboadze Coastal Protection Project which is also 45% complete.
The minister further stated that some coastal settlements had been affected by the devastating tidal wave action, notable among them being Sogakokpe, Agavedzi and Amutinu, all within the Blekusu coastal area.
“I wish to take this opportunity to emphasise that, the second phase of the Blekusu Coastal Protection Project has remained a priority commitment of this government. This phase of the project is intended to protect a coastal stretch of about 8 kilometres. The ministry is engaging the Ministry of Finance to raise the needed funds for works to start.
“Government will also continue the implementation of all ongoing projects and commence works at Apam, Axim Phase II, La and Teshie, among others,” he assured.
BY Nii Adjei Mensahfio