Francis Asenso-Boakye
About 785 buildings classified as sited on waterways have been scheduled for demolition in the La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly in the Greater Accra Region, as part of the government’s efforts to solve the menace of chronic flooding in Accra.
The Municipal Assembly will execute the demolition exercise in response to President Akufo-Addo’s instruction that all Assemblies dismantle buildings that obstruct the free flow of storm water in drainage channels.
Speaking to the press yesterday in Accra on flooding difficulties ahead of the rainy season, the Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, revealed that the Assembly is currently working on the necessary logistics to carry out the task.
He observed that while the government is determined to build resilient communities that can withstand and reduce the incidence of flooding especially in Accra, certain human activities have hugely contributed to thwart investments in the provision of drainage infrastructure.
The minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Bantama, said activities of developers in areas such as Tseaddo, Kpeshie Reserves, Railway Reserve Line at Roman Ridge, Villagio site, Amanfro as well as Teshie Bush road in the Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly have led to the destruction of buffers meant to hold storm water.
According to him, other human activities have also reduced the capacity of some rivers, resulting in backflow, which in the process flooded communities upstream, noting that these illegal activities are widespread in many parts of the country.
With every attempt to stop the illegal reclamation of lands fiercely resisted by armed land guards, Asenso-Boakye disclosed that the ministry had engaged the Ministry of National Security to give support to the Assemblies to enforce planning laws and building regulations as a way of halting the haphazard development on wetlands and other water bodies across the country.
“I asked the Assembly to ensure the work stops and further action is taken against the developers,” the minister added.
He also added that the government had committed almost GH¢450 million as part of a comprehensive flood control and management programme to reduce the incidence of flooding in the country.
He further indicated that a Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) will also be deployed to give advance notice to people living in communities prone to flooding, to enable them take steps to protect their lives and property.
The minister indicated that the deployment of the Flood Early Warning System is part of the government’s comprehensive programme to tackle flooding in vulnerable communities under the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project.
The $200m project, which is being undertaken in collaboration with the World Bank, has seen the government make significant progress in the implementation of projects meant to mitigate flood risk and solid waste management challenges in the Greater Accra Region.
The minister stated that projects such as performance-based dredging of the Odaw River, drainage improvements works at Achimota, Nima and Kaneshie are about to commence following the completion of all the needed procurement processes.
“It is expected that construction of these drainage improvement works will commence in the next few months,” the minister added.
While highlighting the progress that has been made so far, Mr. Asenso-Boakye acknowledged the need to improve drainage infrastructure in many other communities, noting that the government will invest resources in demonstration of its commitment to tackling Ghana’s perennial flooding.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah