A massive construction work is to begin this month to overhaul the entire drainage system in Accra, as a way of dealing with the perennial flooding in the national capital “once and for all”. Towards that project, the government has released GH¢2.5 million to cover the construction, expansion and extension of drains, as well as clearing silt from both major and minor drains to allow the free flow of water when it rains. In addition, all structures that are on watercourses will be demolished and owners of those that were put up illegally, will be investigated and prosecuted. This was made known to the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday by the Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Dr Hannah Louisa Bisiw, who explained that “this is an attempt to solve the flood problem once and for all”. She stated that the funds for the project were made available to the ministry last week and expressed the hope that after the work had been completed, Accra would be free from floods. Dr Bisiw said to prevent heavy equipment from being bogged down, work would begin at areas that were not too muddy and later continue at other parts. She pointed out that the government was aware that apart from Accra, other parts of the country also experienced flooding, and added that the ministry was collaborating with the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) to ensure that every part of the country was free from flood. In an answer as to whether the government would have the political will to demolish houses built on watercourses, Dr Bisiw said “the time has come for the people of Ghana to face the reality and refuse to allow a few individuals to take the rest of us for granted”. On officials who gave building permits to individuals to build on watercourses and other unauthorised places, the deputy minister said those people would be dealt with at the appropriate time. “The government is currently focussing all its attention on how best to solve the problem and when the problem is solved to some extent, those government officials will be dealt with according to the laws of the land,” she hinted. Dr Bisiw said an inter-sectoral team that included the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) had accessed the situation and the damage caused by the rains, and their observation was that much of the problem was man-made. She touched on illegal structures that were springing up on daily basis and also the attitude of some residents who continually threw garbage into drains, saying that they were partly to blame. Dr Bisiw said there was the need for continuous education to let the people understand why they should not build on watercourses and also not dump refuse into drains. Those whose houses were on watercourses, she advised, should better move out because they would not be spared this time round. “If we had done the right thing and prevented this situation, the government could have used that huge amount of money for some other project to benefit all of us,” she pointed out. Citing instances from some Asian countries that had independence at the same time as Ghana, Dr Bisiw said there was the need for Ghanaians to do the right thing “if we want to move ahead as a country”. Source: Daily Graphic