In the last four years, the government has invested GH¢230 million to provide adequate drainage facilities throughout the country in order to resolve the country’s perennial flooding.
Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye, Minister of Works and Housing, made the announcement in Accra on Tuesday after visiting several large drainage schemes in flood-prone areas. He said the government was dedicated to providing more funding to the sector to resolve the danger.
“The government has invested a significant amount of resources, especially under Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration. Government has invested GH¢230 million on drainage provisions alone in the last four years, and you saw the dredging work being undertaken by Dredge Masters at Odawna. In reality, I’m blown away by what’s been accomplished so far.
“This yearly dredging has aided the nation in preventing another big flood. The government will continue to devote money to combating floods”, according to the Minister.
The aim of the tour was to allow the Minister to assess projects under his jurisdiction in order to make informed decisions.
The Accra Sanitary, Sewerage, Stormwater Drainage Alleviation Project (AS3DAP), Santa Maria Drainage Project, Mallam Drainage Project, and Apenkwa Drainage Project, all of which are part of the 2018 National Flood Control Programme, were among the projects visited.
Mr Sena Adiepena, Operations Manager of Dredge Masters, the company charged with desilting the Korle Lagoon, said the project was now in its third phase, with 60% of the work done.
The presence of squatters on the lagoon’s shores, he stated, was impeding the project’s smooth completion, and he urged city officials to intervene as soon as possible to remedy the crisis.
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With the onset of rains, Mr Adiepena was optimistic that the country would not experience any flooding this year, especially in and around the lagoon.
“As we enter the rainy season, based on the latest work and our goals, we do not expect any floods, even in the event of unusual rainfall. Despite the fact that the meteorological service has predicted rain, “we cannot predict the extremes,” he said. “However, we agree that we would not have flooding issues due to our position on the land and constant dredging,” he said.
Mr Seth Kudzordzi, Head of Drainage Engineering, Hydrological Services Department, said the Santa Maria, Mallam, and Apenkwa Drainage Schemes had so far been effective in reducing the occurrence of flooding in the beneficial areas.
He also said, however, that the existence of a building along the project’s edge slowed development on the Santa Maria Drainage Project, and he asked the Minister and the Assembly to help the Department address the problem so that work could begin.
After the June 3, 2015 flood and fire tragedy, which killed more than 150 people and destroyed property, the government has taken a range of steps to prevent future disasters, including annual dredging and desilting of major drains across the nation, especially in the capital.
Mr Asenso-Boakye praised Dredge Masters for their work thus far and urged Ghanaians to be more responsible in waste management and disposal in order to help the government’s efforts to prevent future disasters.
“Government alone would not be able to resolve the problem of flooding if we, as a nation, do not behave responsibly as people. As a result, I advise our fellow citizens and Ghanaians to be more conscientious in their solid waste disposal,” the Minister said.
To resolve some of the issues, he urged the District Assemblies to strictly follow the numerous zoning laws and building codes.
SOURCE: ATLFMONLINE
