The Minister for Works and Housing, Hon. Francis Asenso-Boakye as part of his working tour has visited various drainage sites in Accra to assess drainage works being undertaken by the Ministry.
The sites included the Odaw-Onyasia confluence at Caprice, Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Upper and Lower Korle lagoons where Messrs Dredge Masters is currently undertaking the dredging of the Odaw drain from Caprice to the outfall including the Lower and Upper Lagoons.
Other sites toured by the Hon. Minister included the Santa Maria Drainage Project site and Apenkwa Drainage Project site among others.
Following the surge in flood cases, especially in the capital, the government has in the past four years from 2017 to 2020, committed a significant amount into dredging works and drainage provision under the National Flood Control Programme, which has led to a massive reduction in flooding.
This year, the government has also earmarked a significant amount of Gh₵18, 500,000 for the 2021 National Flood Control Programme.
While assuring the public that government will continue to implement programmes to mitigate the effects of flooding in the country, Hon Asenso-Boakye also entreated Ghanaians to adhere to proper solid waste disposal practices, which is one of the main causes of flooding in the country.
“I am impressed with the work done so far by Dredge Masters and the other contractors. It is my expectation that we, as citizens will give them the needed support by engaging in proper sanitation practices to end the perennial flooding especially Accra”, he said.
The Minister also charged various Assemblies to strictly enforce planning laws and building regulations and see to it that structures are not built on waterways.
He assured of the Ministry’s continued collaboration with the Ministries of Sanitation and Water Resources and the Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development to deepen education on solid waste management.
He also urged the media to also use its platform to educate and sensitize the people not to throw solid waste into our drainage channels, but rather adopt proper solid waste disposal measures to support the efforts of the government.