Ekye Amanfrom (E/R), Oct. 29, GNA - Communities living along the banks of the Afram River in the Kwahu North District, risked contracting water borne diseases, due to the marauding flood waters, which is carrying along solid and liquid wastes. A fact finding team including Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Kwahu North District Chief Executive, Mr Charles Evans Apreku and Regional Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Mr Ransford Owusu Boakye who visited the town on Friday noticed that the people are drinking the contaminated water. The team was in the area to ascertain the extent of damage caused by the floods.

A total of 74 compound houses have been destroyed by the floods with more than 2,800 people displaced and 1,800 acres of farms destroyed. To help save life and property, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo urged the assembly to arrange for mobile toilet facilities for the affected communities. He promised to liaise with the Community Water and Sanitation Agency and NADMO to deploy tanks in the affected communities to ensure the supply of potable water to the people. Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said he would hold discussions with the Regional Director of Health Services to deploy medical personnel to the affected communities to educate them on how to avoid infections and raise the level of public education on sanitation. He called on those living at the low lying areas to move to safer grounds.

The Minister appealed to traditional authorities in the communities to offer land to those who had lost their houses to build new ones. He warned that nobody would be allowed to build houses beyond the safe contours designated by the Volta River Authority to ensure that life and property is protected. Some of the communities visited by the team included Agodeke, Gelemekpo, New Kyease and Ekye Amanfrom, where the Regional Minister presented the flood victims with essential commodities.