The Minister of Works, Housing and Water Resources, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, has issued a strong warning to individuals and developers encroaching on watercourses, declaring that the government will soon move to demolish such structures and sanction offenders.
That, he said, was because the continued obstruction of natural drainage channels remained a major cause of flooding in parts of Accra, including Tabora, Santa Maria and Awoshie.
“We are going to come after those people building on watercourses.
Very soon, the rains are about to start.
But we won’t allow what they are doing to bring flooding to the good people of Accra.
So we will come after them to move all those structures they are trying to put in place. And they are going to be penalised,” he said.
Mr Adjei was speaking during an inspection of works at the Mallam Junction Ramsar Site, part of the Densu Delta, on Tuesday, April 28.
The area is a critical, protected wetland recognised for its importance, especially for biodiversity, conservation and flood control, which has faced heavy encroachment by developers, causing severe flooding in areas such as Gbawe and the Blue Lagoon.
President’s visit, Caitec
Mr Adjei explained that the visit followed an earlier inspection by President John Dramani Mahama and a government task force after severe flooding in the area.
Work in progress on the Kaneshie Lot 2 drainage under the GARID project.
At the time, it was discovered that a private company, Caitec, had filled a section of a watercourse, impeding the free flow of stormwater.
He added that the President subsequently directed the company to remove the sand that had blocked the channel and restore it to its original state.
Caitec, he said, complied and collaborated with the Ghana Hydrological Authority (GHA) to dredge and widen the drainage channel.
Mr Adjei emphasised that the intervention had already yielded results, as the area did not experience flooding during the last two rainfall events.
He, therefore, commended the company and engineers for correcting the anomaly but cautioned others engaged in similar practices to desist or face the consequences.
Obstructing watercourses
The minister expressed concern about ongoing activities in the area, including the dumping of refuse into watercourses and the construction of structures within designated drainage corridors.
He described such actions as irresponsible and counterproductive to the government’s efforts to address flooding.
Mr Adjei further cautioned local authorities against issuing construction permits in flood-prone zones, stressing that officials found culpable would also be sanctioned.
He urged the media to intensify public education on the dangers of building on watercourses, emphasising that such areas were intentionally preserved by nature to accommodate excess rainwater and prevent flooding.
Kaneshie drainage project
The minister also visited the Accra Academy drainage project, part of the World Bank-supported Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID), a two-lot project covering about 4,255 metres from Accra Academy to the Pamprom Junction and through Osabiede and Ayikai Streets.
It involves the construction of box culverts, channel expansion and a bridge to enhance drainage capacity at Kaneshie.
Mr Adjei expressed satisfaction with the project’s progress but urged contractors to maintain the momentum as the rains approach.
He cautioned that during his next inspection, any substandard or incomplete work would attract strict scrutiny, warning he would not hesitate to name and shame those responsible.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh