President Mahama joins Anti-Flood Task Force on tour of flood-hit areas as heavy rains batter Accra and Tema
President John Dramani Mahama on Monday joined members of the Anti-Flood Task Force on a tour of areas affected by flooding in Accra, Tema and surrounding communities.
The flooding which was caused by sustained heavy rains that began on June 27 caused widespread damage to homes, businesses and public infrastructure across the capital.
The Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, who accompanied the President on the tour, disclosed the visit in a press statement issued on Monday, saying the exercise helped validate the causes of flooding in the affected areas and evaluate the remedial solutions being considered.
He said the flooding, which had particularly hit low-lying areas hard, had disrupted economic and social activities and imposed pain and hardship on households, traders, transport operators and businesses across the affected communities.
“To those who have suffered losses, we wish to assure you that government remains fully committed to supporting relief, recovery, and reconstruction efforts,” the Minister said on behalf of the Government of Ghana and the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources.
In response to the emergency, the Ministry said it was working through the Ghana Hydrological Authority in close collaboration with NADMO, the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, security services and other stakeholders to implement immediate response measures.
Those measures included the deployment of emergency response teams, evacuation support where necessary, the provision of relief items to displaced persons, ongoing assessment of damaged infrastructure and intensified drainage clearing activities in flood-prone locations across the city.
The Ministry also announced that urgent steps were being taken to desilt and excavate major drainage channels and waterways that had become silted and obstructed following the recent heavy rains, with the aim of improving the flow and discharge of stormwater.
The effort would be complemented by the construction of new drainage channels aligned with naturally occurring water pathways to restore and enhance the efficient movement of water.
The Ministry said the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, working with the assemblies, had in recent weeks undertaken enforcement operations across the city focused on removing illegal structures and obstructions along drainage channels, waterways, wetlands and other natural water retention areas, and that those efforts would be intensified and sustained.
On broader interventions, the statement said government was advancing plans to expand and rehabilitate drainage infrastructure, enforce development controls in floodplains, strengthen early warning systems and restore wetlands, lagoons and natural water detention areas to reduce the country’s overall flood vulnerability.
According to the statement, the current situation once again exposed the growing challenges posed by extreme weather, rapid urbanisation and increasing pressure on drainage infrastructure, and warned that human activities including encroachment on waterways, indiscriminate waste disposal and non-compliance with planning regulations were compounding the impact of every rainfall event.
The Ministry urged residents living near rivers, lagoons, drains and low-lying areas to prioritise their safety, move to higher ground when necessary, avoid walking or driving through floodwaters and keep children away from flooded areas to prevent accidents and exposure to waterborne diseases.
The Ministry called on all citizens to support government’s efforts by refraining from dumping waste into drains, avoiding construction on waterways and complying fully with environmental and planning regulations.
“Together, through collective responsibility, discipline, and adherence to safety measures, we can significantly reduce the effects of flooding, safeguard lives and livelihoods, and build safer, more resilient communities for present and future generations,” the statement said.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
