A major operation has commenced to reclaim the Lafa water retention basin in Mallam, following years of illegal solid waste dumping and encroachment that severely silted the natural reservoir and triggered devastating flooding in surrounding communities.

A statement issued by the Presidency said the extensive exercise was being undertaken by the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces.

It said that using heavy equipment, the teams were breaking up tonnes of compacted solid waste before dredging and scooping the debris for haulage to a designated landfill site in Nsawam.

The statement said that to permanently restore the basin’s drainage capacity and prevent future encroachment, the operation also includes demolishing illegal structures and buildings erected within the water reserve and constructing protective embankments.

It said the ongoing exercise was being led by the Post-Flood Mitigation Task Force, headed by the Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations at the Presidency, Mr Stan Xoese Dogbe.

The statement noted that the strategic intervention, projected to last several weeks, aims to safeguard lives and property and prevent a repeat of the widespread havoc experienced by residents of Blue Lagoon, Mallam, Weija, and parts of Dansoman following the torrential rains on June 29.

The statement said the Head of Drainage at the Ghana Hydrological Authority, Mr Richard Kofi Amekor, described the task of clearing the solid waste in the basin as very challenging.

He noted that the perennial flooding in the Mallam-Gbawe and Awoshie-Kasoa highway corridor and parts of Dansoman is a result of the heavy silting of the Lafa basin after years of deliberate dumping of solid waste and boulders, and the illegal use of laterite to secure the land for sale to developers.

Mr Amekor, however, said, “If the excavation is completed successfully, the natural state of the basin will be restored to accommodate a lot of inflow after downpours.”

The Lafa takes its source from Mallam-Gbawe Zero, and the water flows through Santa Maria, Atieku, Pallas Town, Alhaji Tabora, and McCarthy Hill into the basin before gradually discharging into the sea.

Heavy silting from solid waste over several years prevented the June 29 rainwater from flowing into the basin, causing backwater to flood the affected communities, including Blue Lagoon and the Dansoman enclave.

The topography in this area, with the hills upstream, obviously pushes more water into this basin, and the blockade causes the devastating floods.

If this exercise is carried out, it will mitigate the floods we experience. It may not prevent it entirely, but it will significantly reduce the impact.

The Head of Drainage at the Ghana Hydrological Authority further recommended the demolition of all illegal structures, including buildings within the basin, saying that some had reduced its capacity.

All those illegal structures must go down. Once that is done, the Hydrology Authority will liaise with the Weija-Gbawe Municipality to secure the banks.

Brigadier General Richard Kinney, Commander of the 14 Engineer Brigade of the Ghana Armed Forces, said the immediate task was to loosen the waste material for easy haulage.

He said clearing the basin and evacuating the waste would take months to complete, but assured that they had secured the necessary equipment to carry out the task.

“The main work is dredging. We are trying to loosen the waste material dumped here for years, capped with laterite, and compacted to secure part of the land for sale,” he stated.

“Once we loosen, it will be easy to evacuate, and the haulage will be done at night to the final disposal site at Nsawam. It’s going to take us months, and we must caution the locals living around here. No more dumping, and those involved in the illegalities must stop immediately.”

Brigadier General Forster Okae-Yeboah, Director General of Joint Operations at the Ghana Armed Forces and Coordinator of the Flood Mitigation Works, said their operations continue unabated, with work still ongoing at Oyarifa, East Legon, and the Kpeshie Lagoon area.

“Other earmarked areas are also lined up for work to begin soon. Next week, the exercise will start at the Kpeshie enclave – Laboma beach area - to open the channel to the sea.

“Our objective is to mitigate the impact of floods in Accra, and I urge the public to cooperate with the task force,” he said.

“I am happy to announce that the President honoured his pledge and money is available; we have equipment to undertake the assignment, but the government cannot do it alone, so we shall be grateful to welcome the private sector if they want to come on board,” he added.