Government takes measures to control floods in the country - Minister

Government has instituted a study to develop Flood Early Warning Systems (FEWS) for the Northern, Upper East and West Regions following the recent floods that affected life and property.

Mr. Enoch Teye Mensah, Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing (MWRWH) who announced this in Accra on Tuesday at the Meet-The-Press series session, said the Hydrological Services Department (HSD) was collaborating with the Water Resources Commission to make use of floods models, developed by HKV Consultants for FEWS.

“The real data input for the models is provided by the Hydrological Services Department and the Ghana Meteorological Agency. With these models, the Department would be able to forecast floods in the White Volta River Basin for disaster prevention and development in the three Northern Regions,” the Minister explained.

He said the Sector Ministry under its HSD had over the years embarked upon a wide-scale channel improvement programme in the form of channel deepening and widening of primary and secondary watercourses, as well as the construction of various types of urban stormwater hydrological structures.

"The exercise was expected to keep all primary channels free from silt and debris to enhance the free and fast conveyance of flows from the urban areas,” he said; adding, communities to benefit from the programme at the last rainy season include Lafa area, Kasoa Iron City, Abeka Lapaz, Madina, Haatso, Ashongman, Weija, Ada, Kpando and Prampram.

Mr. Mensah said the Ministry had completed plans to undertake major drainage projects at Ejura, Tepa, New Edubiase, Kumawu and Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, Swedru and Winneba in Central Region, Asankragwa in the Western Region, Tamale in the Northern and Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region, during the year.

He said all these measures were being undertaken to protect life and property in the country and that the construction of stormwater drainage structures was being implemented at Nima and Sakaman in the Greater Accra Region, while drains at Goaso and Mim in the Brong Ahafo Region were being negotiated.

Mr. Mensah said some coastal protection projects like the Sakumono Sea Defence, Atorkor-Dzita Anyanui Emergency Sea Defence Phase II, Ada Sea Defence, which commenced a couple of years ago were on-going with some having been completed or yet to be completed.

He announced that the Ministry was in the process of undertaking Sea Defence Projects at Mensah Guinea in the Greater Accra Region, which included Osu Castle, Amanful-Kumah, Nkontompo and Ngyiresia in the Western Region in future, adding that the procurement process was on-going after which actual construction would commence soon.

The Sector Minister announced that a technical committee had been set up to take inventory of all government immovable buildings and properties delineating office and residential accommodation and other State properties to reflect their current status.

He said the exercise would enable the Ministry to develop a database on all State immovable properties, develop a maintenance plan and identify the legal occupants.**