The minister-designate for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Dapaah, has averred that Ghana cannot do away with open drains because they were crucial in the control of rain waters.

Responding to a question during her vetting before Parliament's Appointments Committee, the nominee stressed the importance of drains in the prevention of floods.

“The drains are for storm rains and water, you cannot do away with the open drains, otherwise we will be flooded in no time when it rains,” she submitted.

A member of the committee had asked whether there was a correlation between open drains and poor sanitation and plans if she had any to have them covered in due course.

The nominee said the real challenge was with open gutters that were easily choked due to the indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

Dapaah advocated that open gutters were archaic and needed to be phased out.

She disclosed inter-ministerial meetings had been held to reduce the spate of flooding.

“So the roads minister, I had an engagement with him and I think he has taken it on board but with the drains, they are between Roads, and Works and Housing (ministries) mainly, they have the hydro units to take care of that.

“But essentially that (drains) is for storm water which we need to have to be able to control rain water. You know we are in the tropical area and we need to have that,” she concluded.