The Minister for Works and Housing, Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has cut sod for the construction of Nima-Paloma drain under the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) project.
Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, the sector minister said the construction of the drain will help reduce the perennial flooding challenges in Accra, and bring the needed relief to residents, commuters, traders and businesses, especially those around the Ring Road, Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Adabraka and Asylum Down, and surrounding communities.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah disclosed that similar flood control interventions are currently being implemented under the GARID project in Alogboshie, Akweteyman and Nima.
“As we speak, community upgrading interventions comprising the construction of primary and secondary drains, pedestrian and vehicular access roads, solid waste management facilities, and extension of security lights, and water supply networks are currently underway in Alogboshie, Akweteyman and sections of Nima — the three targeted flood prone low-income communities under the Project,” he stated.
He commended the GARID Project for the good strides it has made in the implementation of its key flood control programs, citing the ongoing performance-based dredging of the Odaw River Basin, and the reconstruction of the broken sections of the Odaw channel at Achimota-Abofu as other significant interventions that will help mitigate flooding in communities along the Odaw River Basin.
The Minister revealed that the GARID Project will soon sign contracts for the construction of two storm drains in Kaneshie.
“In the coming weeks, contracts will be signed for drainage improvement works in Kaneshie in two (2) lots — the construction of a storm drain from Accra Academy to Pramprom Junction; and another one from the Bank of Ghana Quarters to the Odaw. Works will commence with the relocation of utilities, after the completion of the ongoing resettlement of project-affected persons,” the Minister revealed.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah also announced the commencement of the final phase of the Accra Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) which will provide advanced notification of impending floods to residents in flood-prone communities for them to take steps to protect their lives and properties ahead of flood events.
“We have engaged a service provider early this month to set up and operationalize the Flood Early Warning System platform. It is expected that the operationalization of the system will be completed before the next rainy season to help mitigate the devastating impact of floods on residents of the Greater Accra Region” said Mr. Oppong Nkrumah.
He indicated that prior to the commencement of the final phase, a variety of equipment distributed to the implementing institutions, including Ghana Hydrological Authority, the Water Resources Commission, the Ghana Meteorological Agency, and NADMO, to support the establishment of the Accra Flood Early Warning have been installed in various basins across the Greater Accra Region.
The Honorable Minister appealed to Ghanaians to support government’s flood control measures by changing their behaviour towards solid waste disposal, choice of building locations and other climate-resilient flood mitigation measures. He stressed that the implementation of the GARID Project’s interventions and all other Government’s flood mitigation measures, will not succeed if such behavior and underlying attitudes do not change.
“Let me reiterate that for flood mitigation to work in Accra and elsewhere in the country behavioral change must be a major complement. Additionally, local assemblies must be bold and proactive to prevent building on water ways and the maintenance of these storm drains. All of the society must support the authorities to eschew the bad behaviors that undermine the progress we are making,” he emphasized.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Hon. Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus- Glover commended the GARID project for its efforts in helping curb incidences of flooding in the Greater Accra Region.
He assured the residents of Accra that the office of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council will exercise strong coordination during and after the construction works to ensure that the outcomes of this drainage intervention remain beneficial to all stakeholders.
Mr. Titus- Glover called for a concerted effort to help make Accra one of the cleanest cities in Africa.
“The time has come for a concerted effort in making Accra a truly clean city, and I pledge the RCC’s full commitment to this goal,” the Regional Minister said.
Dr. Kwadwo Ohene Sarfoh, the GARID Project Coordinator, provided further details on the construction works. He noted that the construction of the 10 by 3-meter, 1-kilometer drain is expected to take 18 months, and assured that measures are in place to ensure the contractor delivers on time without compromising quality of the work.
Dr. Sarfoh said the commencement of the project is a crucial step toward addressing the flooding issues that have long affected Accra’s residents and businesses. He emphasized that the project’s holistic approach, which includes dredging, drainage improvement works, and enhancement of solid waste management capacity, aims to create a more resilient and safer environment for all.
He urged residents to cooperate with the constructor to ensure the successful construction of the drain, which will bring much-needed flood relief to the community.