Traders and commercial drivers at the Asafo Market in Kumasi are calling on the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to urgently desilt choked drains and provide lasting solutions to persistent flooding in the area.

Their concerns follow yet another round of flooding at the frontage of the busy market after Tuesday’s rains, which disrupted trading activities and vehicular movement.

According to a resident, even a light downpour is enough to cause flooding in the area, a situation he attributes to blocked gutters and an ineffective drainage system.

One trader lamented the situation, saying the problem has become recurring and unbearable.

“The problem we are facing is that when it rains like yesterday even though it didn’t even rain heavily, but it flooded from the top down at the overhead. Water enters the cars. So, when it rains continuously for like 10 hours, nobody can pass here,” he said.

He attributed the situation mainly to choked drains, insisting that without urgent desilting, the flooding will continue.

A driver at the Asafo Four Junction stretch explained that the problem has been worsened by poor drainage design and encroachment.

“The road they did has made the gutters small, and the ones they left for water to flow through have been built on. Now we can’t even find the gutters again,” he said.

He added that during rainfall, water now flows directly onto the main road, creating pressure and making it impossible for vehicles to pass.

“When it rains, the water rises and brings pressure. No car can go or come,” he lamented.

He noted that Asafo remains a major transport and commercial hub, and flooding in the area continues to affect both traders and commuters.

“If a big transport station and market like this floods, then we have a lot of work to do. We are pleading with authorities to help us,” he said.

The trader also recalled previous efforts by authorities to address the drainage challenges but said the problem persists.

“Last year I saw the authorities doing some work on the gutters, but still the problem is more, so they have to help. Even if it is a bridge we need, we will take it,” he added.

The traders are therefore urging the KMA to urgently clear all choked drains and implement durable drainage solutions to end the perennial flooding in the area.