The National Flood Mitigation Task Force has commenced a phased exercise to dredge, desilt and remove illegal structures along waterways in parts of Accra as part of efforts to reduce flooding and restore the city’s drainage systems.

The task force is led by Stan Dogbe, Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations at the Presidency, and includes Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, Minister of Works, Housing and Water Resources, and Brigadier General Forster Okae-Yeboah, Director-General of Joint Operations of the Ghana Armed Forces and Coordinator of the National Flood Mitigation Task Force.

The exercise involves the removal of illegal structures built within waterways and drainage channels, the demolition of poorly engineered bridges that obstruct water flow, and the dredging of silted dams and drains.

Accompanied by Major General Annan Glover, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Army Headquarters, and Brigadier General Richard Kinny, Commander of the Engineer Brigade, the team began operations at New England, behind Airport Hills and Mayfair Garden Estates, before proceeding to the Tesa Dam in East Legon and Oyarifa.

At the Tesa Dam, near Boundary Road in East Legon, the task force demolished unauthorised structures erected along the banks of the dam, where encroachment had significantly narrowed the natural waterway.

Officials said some developers had constructed illegal retaining walls and other structures, while indiscriminate dumping of plastic waste and activities of squatters had caused extensive siltation of the reservoir and drainage channels, heightening the risk of flooding in the area.

Prior to the demolition exercise, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Osei Amponsah, Commanding Officer of the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, addressed affected residents and explained the purpose of the operation.

He urged them to cooperate with the task force and allowed occupants time to remove their belongings before the exercise commenced.

Following the demolition, the task force immediately began dredging the Tesa Dam to restore its storage capacity and improve the flow of water.

The exercise is expected to reduce flood risks along the Motorway, East Legon and nearby communities.

The Tesa Dam serves as a critical flood-retention basin, temporarily storing stormwater during heavy rainfall before gradually releasing it into the drainage network.

Authorities said years of siltation, encroachment and indiscriminate waste disposal had significantly reduced the dam’s effectiveness.

Speaking to journalists, Brigadier General Okae-Yeboah said illegal developments had severely restricted the natural flow of water.

“The problem is that because people have built in this area, the channel has been narrowed. Water is therefore not able to flow freely to the holding area downstream, where it is supposed to be collected,” he stated.

“Since the channel is blocked, the area cannot take in enough water. The water backs up, causing the surrounding communities to flood.”

He said the exercise would go beyond demolition to ensure the affected waterways remain free from future encroachment.

“After the demolition, we are going to clear the debris, dredge the area, and create a buffer zone where people will no longer be allowed to build. We will also ask the assemblies to monitor the area so that whenever anyone attempts to encroach on it, immediate action is taken.”

Adjei said President John Dramani Mahama had directed that desilting and dredging of drains should become a continuous nationwide exercise.

“After the demolitions, we will continue dredging throughout the year so that whenever it rains, the water will have enough space to collect. It will be a year-round exercise.

“The President has directed that we ensure the kind of flooding we recently experienced is not repeated in our communities,” he said.

The Tesa Dam operation follows similar enforcement exercises carried out by the task force on Thursday, July 23, in Oyarifa and around the Mayfair Gardens.

At Oyarifa, a developer had built a block of apartments directly over a natural waterway, obstructing its flow.

Together with another developer, the watercourse had been diverted, disrupting the natural drainage system and increasing the area’s flood risk.

The task force demolished the obstructions and a number of inappropriately sited structures as part of efforts to restore the channel and improve the free flow of water.

Authorities say the exercise is intended to restore the natural drainage system and reduce the risk of flooding in the area.

The Flood Mitigation Task Force says the nationwide flood mitigation exercise is aimed at restoring the integrity of waterways, improving stormwater drainage and preventing a recurrence of the flooding that recently affected several communities across the Greater Accra region.

The team is desirous to clear the way, desilt and bring life back into the identified water channels, water ways, dams and drains in these three locations before moving to phase two.

Phase two will tackle the challenges in Weija, Mallam, and the Laboma area.

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