Stakeholders meet to discuss control of Accra floods

Accra, May 26, GNA - Brigadier-General Joseph Odei (Rtd), National Co-ordinator of National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), on Friday reiterated the need for attitudinal change among the citizenry to help control or mitigate disasters, particularly, floods.

He told a stakeholders' meeting on floods in Accra as people continued to build houses in marshy areas, along drains, river banks and throw rubbish in gutters, rainwater was denied of its natural habitation so they end up in the homes and on the streets causing havoc. "In Accra today there are no safe places where we can relocate people to as safe heavens in case of floods or any disaster," Brigadier Odei said.

The meeting being attended by officers from the Ghana Navy, Fire Service, Town and Country Planning Department, Accra Metropolitan Assembly, NADMO, Hydrological Services Department of Ministry of Works and Housing and Water Resources, would create a platform to draw up a framework to manage Accra floods as the rains set in.

He said education and sensitisation of the citizenry on what to do to avoid floods and how to behave when flooding occurred were important to address the menace.

Brig. Gen. Odei said the Disaster Management Act was being reviewed at the Attorney General's Department and it would soon be sent to Parliament.

"I hope the legislation would empower us to task relevant agencies to be on their toes and ensure that people do the right things to avoid man-made disasters".

He noted that human neglect and failures contributed to about 90 per cent of all disasters in the world pointing out that within the last two years over 500,000 lives had been lost through disasters while about 650 billion dollars spent on the same worldwide. Sheikh Ibrahim Cudjoe Quaye, Greater Accra Regional Minister, said both man-made and natural disasters militated against progress of the Region, stressing that efforts to bring all stakeholders together to deliberate on the issues were therefore timely.

He, however, noted that with the completion of various drains in and around Accra, the metropolis was relatively safer during this season than it was a few years back.

Madam Theresa Amerley Tagoe, Deputy Greater Accra Regional Minister, appealed to chiefs to stop selling lands along rivers and waterways.

She also urged officials in charge of approving building permits to reject applications that site houses as such places to save them from future disasters.

Road Transport Minister answers questions on weak bridges

Accra, May 26, GNA - Feasibility and engineering studies have been completed on two wooden bridges on the Dayi and Abonyere rivers located in the Asunafo South district and have been programmed for replacement. The Dayi river is currently spanned by "a weak wooden bridge and is in weak condition," Dr Richard Anane, Road Transport Minister said these in Parliament on Friday in response to a question on when the Abonyere and Dayi bridges in the district would be restored to facilitate transportation of food stuffs to the market areas.

The Minster said the bridge on river Dayi has been programmed for award in June this year under the Ghana/Dutch Steel Bridge programme. He said that for the Abonyere river would be awarded next year under the same programme but while waiting for the award of the contract next year, "all the weak timber will be replaced with new ones." Mr. Mohammed Jagri, (NDC-Zabzugu/Tatale) also asked the Minister efforts being made to repair the bridge linking Sangbaa and Sanbonjida in the Kworli area in the Zabzugu district.

Dr Anane said the bridge was indeed weak and needed replacement, however, the hydrological and hydraulic designs for a new box culvert to replace the existing one on the old bridge was being carried out. "The bridge is among the projects to be advertised in September this year," he added.

Responding to another question on when various roads in the Asuogyaman district including the Akosombo-Gyakiti-Oframase-Anyaase road would be upgraded, the Dr Anane said the "upgrading would be tackled in lots."

He said the lot one contract covering from "km 0 to km four was awarded in August 2003, to M/S D'Pong at a contract price of 1.610 billion cedis."

He said the contract was terminated in January 2006, due to non-performance of the contractor and the project has been re-packaged and would be re-awarded by September, this year.