Government commits GHS 450m to National Flood Control Programme
Government has committed GHS450m ($77m) to its National Flood Control Programme as part of its efforts to mitigate flood risks ahead of the rainy season. The Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, said his ministry had deployed all available resources to construct new drains and improve existing ones, with a particular focus on vulnerable communities such as Kasoa Millennium City, Adenta Sakora and Dome Railway Crossing. A total of 384 desilting projects and 202 drainage channel construction projects have been initiated as part of the programme. To date, 370 desilting projects, representing 96% of planned projects, have been completed, while 84 drainage channel construction projects, representing 42%, have been completed, with 119 at various stages of completion.
Asenso-Boakye added that to ensure Accra is adequately prepared for the impending rains, he undertook a working tour of flood-prone communities with technical staff from the Ministry and the Ghana Hydrological Authority to assess the major causes of flooding in some localities to evaluate the country’s level of preparedness. Development activities in the Kpeshie Lagoon and the wetlands and their reserve areas have disrupted the ability of the lagoon and wetlands to hold water, leading to flooding in nearby communities during heavy downpours. Human activities along riverbanks have contributed to increased erosion and resulted in the collapse of buildings adjacent to the drain, Asenso-Boakye said.
The Minister noted that human activities along riverbanks have contributed to increased erosion and resulted in the collapse of buildings adjacent to the drain. The municipal assembly identified about 785 buildings in waterways that had to be pulled down during the tour. Officials are currently working on the necessary logistics to undertake that assignment. Other flood-prone areas visited by the Minister are Teshie Bush Road Drain, Roman Ridge (Railway Reserve Line), Villagio Area (Onyasia Stream), Korkordjor (Weija Old Barrier) and New Bortianor.
Despite the progress made by the Ministry, Asenso-Boakye indicated that human activities tend to undermine the impact of government’s investments to mitigate flood risks. The Ministry is seeking support from the Ministry of National Security to guarantee the safety of assemblies in enforcing laws against development in waterways and wetlands. Staff of some assemblies, including district and metropolitan chief executives, have been receiving death threats in their quest to enforce the law, with some developers deploying armed land guards to prevent assemblies from doing their work.
Building on watercourses, which results in perennial flooding, has become “a big development issue,” the Minister said, adding that human activities were undermining the Government’s efforts to address the situation in Accra. As a result, citizens need to support the Government’s efforts by respecting rules and regulations governing settlement planning and avoid development in waterways and drainage buffers. “Citizens have to be more circumspect in managing household solid waste and desist from using our drainage channels as rubbish dumps,” Asenso-Boakye said.
The Ministry will continue to collaborate with the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, the Ministry of National Security and other relevant institutions to ensure waterways are free of buildings that block the drainage channels and cause flooding in communities. The Minister assured that his Ministry is committed to ensuring a safe environment for all citizens, especially during the rainy season, and urged citizens to cooperate with the Government’s efforts to mitigate flood risks.
