Civil Engineer, Abdulai Mahama has revealed that efforts to clear the Odaw River so as to prevent it from overflowing its banks will take much more time than the country anticipated.

June usually sees heavy rains, which come with floods. Recent years have seen devastating occurrences claiming many lives.

In 2015, over 150 people died when the floods combined with a fire outbreak at Kwame Nkrumah Circle.

This year has also seen heavy flooding in the capital, with five people going missing or dead in less than a week.

Residents of Odawna have expressed frustration after the incident, demanding pragmatic solutions to the perennial flooding.

But Engineer Abdulai Mahama, says clearing the Odaw during the rainy season is impossible.

According to him, using modest estimates, the Odaw River is carrying “450,000 cubic tonnes of soil”.

"That is approximately 9 million bags of cement. That much cement can build 18 of the largest stadium in the world."

Speaking on Prime Morning, Ing Mahama said, “if you are using 20 trucks per day and each of the trucks carry the silt to the outskirts of Accra, we are talking about 281 days. That will go into next year.”