785 buildings on water-ways to be pulled down - govt

To compliment government’s efforts in solving the perineal flooding in the country, the La Dade Kotopon Municipal Assembly in the Greater Accra Region have marked out 785 buildings to be pulled down.

These buildings according to the Assembly are sited in water-ways.

The act is in response to the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s call on various assemblies to demolish buildings that hinder the free flow of storm water in drainage channels.

The Works and Housing Minister, Francis Asenso-Boakye, at a press conference, said the assembly is currently working to procure the needed logistics to embark on the exercise.

According to the minister, development in areas such as Tseado, Kpeshie Reserves, Railway Reserve line at Roman Ridge, Villagio site, Amanfro and the Teshie Bush road of the La Dade Kotopon Municipal Assembly have destroyed the buffers meant to hold storm water.

He mentioned that other human related activities have also contributed to the flooding menace in the country.

To combat this, the minister in a newspaper report by the DailyGuide on April 19,2023, hinted that his outfit have been in talks with the Ministry of National Security to support the various assemblies in their effort to clamp down on indiscriminate building on water ways.

“I have asked the assembly to ensure the work stops and further action is taken against the developer” the minister is reported to have said.

He also mentioned that the government has allocated GH¢450 million towards a thorough flood control and management operation aimed at decreasing the occurrence of flooding in the nation.

The minister added that a Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) will be deployed to warn advance when it detects a possible flood to enable them early notify people living in these flood prone areas.

The system according to him, is being undertaken in collaboration with the World Bank as part of the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development project (GARID), to comprehensively tackle flooding in the vulnerable communities in the capital.

He added on to say that works will commenced on the Odaw River, including other drainage improvement works at various parts of the capital because logistics have been procured to that effect.

“it is expected that construction of these drainage improvement works will commence in the next few months” the newspaper reported.



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