Floods: Gov’t to Demolish Buildings

Government has revealed plans to demolish buildings on water ways in an exercise aimed at tackling the perennial flooding in Accra ahead of rains

Minister for Works and Housing, Samuel Atta Akyea disclosed this in Parliament Wednesday when answering questions from Adaklu MP Kwame Agbodza.

According to the Minister, short, medium and long terms measures are being rolled out to address the flood menace.

The Abuakwa North MP disclosed that the paltry 5.5 million cedis allocated in the 2018 budget is being used to desalt some major drains in Accra.

He added a permanent solution can only be found when the economic condition of the country allows it.

“Desalting is going on and they are dredging the Odaw River and the rest of them and when you take out the filth so you have an easy flow, you won’t have this kind of spillover which is always disastrous.

“But for Ghana to have a permanent solution we should go to places where we would not see filth floating in drains, we wouldn’t sewage, everything is underground but it is going to cost this country a lot of money…but in the interim we are working,” Hon. Atta Akyea said in Parliament Wednesday.

Hon. Atta Ayea added that “to address the situation, the Water Resources Works and Housing in concultation with the Ministry of Sanitation, Local Government and the MMDAs have to undertake short plan to long term plans to reduce flooding. Short term measures include, updating the Hydro and urban Geographical map and conduct of hydro geological studies on a basin by basin basis…demolishing and removal of buildings on waterways.”

Source: Starrfmonline