Flood Mitigation Taskforce Demolishes Structures at Kpeshie Lagoon as 21-Day Notice Expires
What was once a mangrove-covered wetland forming part of the natural flood protection system of the Laboma area has, over the years, been transformed into artificial land for residential and commercial development at the Kpeshie Lagoon.
The transformation has involved the clearing of vegetation, dumping of heavy boulders and the filling of sections of the lagoon with sand, construction materials and solid waste to create land for development.
The changes have significantly reduced the natural space available for the lagoon to hold excess water, prompting government to begin clearing illegal structures and restoring the water body under its post-flood mitigation programme.
Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ohenewaa Akweley Ocloo, who spoke during the demolition exercise on Sunday, said the area was originally a wetland dominated by mangroves.
“Everybody knows Laboma. All this place used to be mangrove. It’s a wetland and that’s the sea. They cut the trees, filled this place and sold the land to developers, including businesses to build hotels and other things,” she said.
She explained that developers used heavy boulders as foundation material to reclaim portions of the lagoon before covering them with sand and other fill materials.
The process created artificial land on the lagoon’s natural floodplain, on which residential and commercial structures were subsequently erected.
The reclamation has now become a major concern for authorities because of its effect on the lagoon’s natural flood retention function.
The Post Flood Mitigation Task Force on Sunday demolished structures identified within the protected buffer zone as part of efforts to recover the affected areas and restore the water body.
The Task Force also pulled down a fresh wall along the Labadi–Teshie Road which had been constructed to block off an area where vegetation had been destroyed and filling activities were ongoing.
The government’s intervention is being supported by dredging works undertaken by the 48 Engineer Regiment to remove accumulated silt and other materials from the lagoon.
The Kpeshie operation forms part of a wider flood mitigation programme that has also targeted the Tesa Dam, Legon Boundary Road and the Lafa Water Retention Basin at Mallam.
The programme combines demolition, dredging and restoration of water retention areas to improve the capacity of natural waterways to manage stormwater.
The Task Force, led by Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Stan Xoese Dogbe, says the enforcement and restoration exercises will continue at identified flood-prone locations across the Greater Accra Region.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
