The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has directed the Works and Housing Ministry to take action to remedy the country’s perennial flooding.
The Asantehene voiced concern over indiscriminate garbage disposal into drainage and building on dams, which he listed as major triggers of flooding.
During a working visit to the Ashanti Area, Works and Housing Minister Francis Asenso-Boakye paid him a courtesy call at the Manhyia Palace.
The indiscriminate dumping of garbage into open drains and the construction of buildings on waterways are often reported as major triggers of perennial flooding in certain sections of the region.
Flooding has been a problem in certain sections of the Kumasi Metropolis, as well as parts of the Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions, for many years.
Although the government has made several interventions to remedy this situation, human behavior is seen to be impeding efforts in some situations.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has requested that the Works and Housing Ministry function to fix flooding in the country.
“Whenever it rains, there is overflow and the drains are clogged. Some people dump indiscriminately through the drains, causing the water to get clogged. Busia promoted the development of sewage facilities during his tenure, but this has not been continued by subsequent governments. If we don’t find a lasting answer to the flooding issue, the roads we build would deteriorate. People have often built on waterways, clogging them and creating floods. When flooding occurs, the government is held responsible. People dump into the drains, which must be checked. This mission has been assigned to the Minister, and I think he is capable of carrying it out. To resolve the crisis, collaborate with all appropriate agencies. “I believe you’ll be able to make it because of your positive upbringing,” he said.
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has listed approximately 400 structures constructed on waterways and is working to demolish them.
Asenso-Boakye inspected irrigation schemes in the Ashanti Region and called for a collaborative initiative to combat floods.
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“The country has spent heavily in irrigation works over the last four years, but this is not something the government will achieve alone. We saw the garbage that had been dumped by the Owabi River at Atafoa. It suggests that people are dumping garbage into drains indiscriminately, which is not the way to go. “I have stated several times that if we want to solve the problem of floods, we must see it as a joint responsibility,” he urged.
The Minister has stated that a flood management scheme is being implemented to assist in dealing with the recurrent problem.
SOURCE: ATLFMONLINE
