Ghana: Govt Steps Up Flood Control With New Measures

The government has announced a raft of measures to tackle the country's recurring flooding problems, including accelerating drainage improvement projects, removing structures obstructing waterways and strengthening early warning systems.

The Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, Mr Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, said the government was also intensifying the desilting and maintenance of drainage channels in major flood-prone areas as part of efforts to reduce the impact of heavy rains.

He added that long-term interventions would focus on expanding drainage infrastructure, improving urban planning systems, restoring wetlands and enforcing environmental and planning regulations.

Mr Adjei in a statement issued in Accra on Friday said emergency response measures had already been activated through the Ghana Hydrological Authority, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, security agencies and other stakeholders.

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According to him, emergency teams had been deployed to affected communities, relief items were being distributed to displaced families, while assessments were being conducted to determine the extent of damage to infrastructure caused by the floods.

The Minister urged the public to support government efforts by keeping drains clean, avoiding construction on waterways and complying with environmental laws to help prevent future flooding.

"The fight against flooding is a shared responsibility," he said, calling on citizens, local authorities and traditional leaders to work together to keep waterways clear and protect the environment.

Mr Adjei noted that Ghana already possessed the laws and technical expertise required to address flooding but had often fallen short in terms of effective enforcement and public cooperation.

He observed that poor drainage maintenance, uncontrolled development and weak enforcement of planning and sanitation regulations had aggravated flooding, particularly in rapidly expanding urban centres such as Accra.

The Minister also cited activities such as indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains, construction on waterways and wetlands, and disregard for planning regulations as major contributors to the problem.

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He referred to remarks by President John Dramani Mahama during a recent town hall meeting in London, where the President attributed the worsening flooding situation partly to poor environmental practices and indiscipline.

Mr Adjei said although climate change and increasingly intense rainfall patterns were heightening the risk of floods, human actions continued to exacerbate their effects.

The Minister expressed the government's sympathy to persons affected by the recent floods in Accra and other parts of the country, describing the destruction caused by the heavy rains as deeply worrying.

"On behalf of President John Dramani Mahama and the Government of Ghana, I extend my deepest sympathy to all individuals, families and communities affected by the recent flooding," he stated.

He noted that many victims had lost their homes, personal belongings and sources of livelihood, assuring them that the government remained committed to supporting affected families to recover from the disaster.

Recent flooding affected several communities, particularly low-lying areas, destroying homes, businesses and public property, while disrupting economic and social activities.

BY TIMES REPORTER

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