District Chief Executive (DCE) of Shama, Emelia Arthur, says National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and other interest groups should be much more proactive to minimize potential flood damages during rainy seasons. The Shama DCE also wants those agencies to be prepared in advance to adequately respond to such disasters as the recent heavy rains and floods experienced in parts of the country. The heavy rains that have raged for the past couple of weeks have destroyed houses, flooded crops, cut power, damaged roads and caused rivers to overflow. Areas in the Western, Central and Greater Accra Region are the worst hit. Seven people have died and hundreds displaced. NADMO has been distributing relief items to affected households but they beneficiaries have described the aid as woefully inadequate. Mrs Emelia Arthur said NADMO could have done more to minimize the effects of the floods. Vice President John Mahama visited some towns in the Central Region Thursday with NADMO officials to sympathize with victims of the flooding and to assess the extent of damage there. Helicopters had been reportedly dropping off relief items to other victims of disaster in the Western Region. Flooding in Accra and around the country have been a perennial problem but recent incidents have been disastrous, provoking, among others, the question: “What are our city and town planners doing?” The Accra Metropolitan Assembly for example has come under intense criticism for poorly managing the city and taking adhoc decisions when disaster strikers. Source: Myjoyonline.com