The Minister for Works and Housing has asked Parliament to urgently pass the bill for the establishment of the Ghana Hydrological Authority.

Francis Asenso-Boakye said the Bill is key to addressing hydrological challenges in the country.

Mr. Asenso-Boakye indicated that the challenges associated with the delivery of hydrological services have made it difficult for institutions that depend on hydrology-related information for construction, irrigation, agriculture, and maritime purposes to take full advantage of the department’s services.

He made this known in his presentation to move the motion for the Second Reading of the Bill in Parliament on Tuesday, June 14.

“The Authority will also be in the position to engage with Development Partners and explore sources of funding other than the Government of Ghana to undertake flood mitigation projects across the country while enhancing the resilience of our communities and essential infrastructure”, the Minister said.

Already, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mpraeso has asked the government to allocate portions of the Sanitation Levy to the bill.

Davis Ansah Opoku said this will enable the Authority to help curb the issues of flooding in Accra.

The NPP MP made the plea when he contributed to a statement on flooding in the capital city by the Korle-Klottey MP, Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings on Thursday, June 2.

The Deputy Ranking Member on the Public Account Committee insisted this must be done urgently.

“Mr. Speaker, I am calling on the government to as a matter of urgency consider allocating some portions of the Sanitation Levy into the Hydro Authority because they need money to function and also construct new drains. When this happens, we will have an authority that we can hold accountable when flooding occurs in the country.“

The government is currently initiating the necessary processes for the establishment of the Ghana Hydrological Authority.

The Ghana Hydrological Authority Bill, 2021 is to establish the Ghana Hydrological Authority (GHA) as the state institution responsible for the planning, design, execution, operation and maintenance of flood control mechanisms, coastal engineering works, drainage improvement works, operational and applied hydrology in the country.