The Minister for Works and Housing , Mr Franicis Asenso-Boakye has hinted that government has spent GH¢ 450 million towards curbing flooding in the country over the last five years.
Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye made this statement as part of his working tour to some flood-prone areas in Accra following floods from Saturday night’s heavy rains.
Accra Region specifically is on record to have experience flooding throughout the years whenever there is a deluge.
It is believed that the situation has frequently been attributed to unfortunate seepage systems and other human factors , including disposal of waste materials into drains .
Yet, as per Asenso-Boakye, the central government is doing its part to resolve the issue and expects that different partners including local authorities and residents likewise have their influence.
While giving assurance that the perennial flooding issue is being managed, he urged the local authorities to be strong to make an unequivocal move on to remove structures sited at unapproved places.
“What we’ve done is to give a few healing measures, and that is to mitigate the impacts of the enormous running water. Over the most recent five years, the government has burned through GH¢450 million to put resources into the expansion of the drains including digging profound and substantial covering and that is to increase the drain capacity to convey more stormwater… There are certain purposes of flooding; aimless unloading of strong waste in our drains and the random improvement of our networks which should be checked. Those structures in ubauthorized spots ought to be eliminated,” he said.
Mr. Asenso-Boakye further demonstrated his believe that the Greater Accra Resilience Integrated Development (GARID) Project, under which the government a has gotten a $200 million financing will assist in curbing the flooding issue.
As indicated by him, the funds will help the government to in addition to other things expand and develop storm channels in the capital.
“Government got a facility of $200 million funding to execute a few intercessions inside the Odaw bowl… We are going to begin the development under the task, which is a between ministerial project . I’m extremely sure that when the project is done, it will settle the issue of flooding inside the Odaw basin .