Anti-Flood Taskforce embarks on aerial reconnaissance desilting of drains to begin immediately

The Anti-Flood Taskforce, led by Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations), Stan Dogbe, has embarked on an aerial reconnaissance of Accra ahead of the rainy season.

This initiative is part of efforts to curb the perennial flooding issues that plague the city, especially as the rainy season approaches.

The taskforce, which was set up by the President, includes key members such as Marietta Brew, Legal Counsel to the President and Secretary to the Taskforce; Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, Minister for Water Resources, Works & Housing; Ahmed Ibrahim, Minister for Local Government; DCOP Abdul Osman Razak, National Security Coordinator; and the Deputy Director-General of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).

During the aerial reconnaissance, the taskforce inspected various drainage systems and identified problem areas, including heavily silted drains that need urgent attention.

Stan Dogbe stated, “the President, concerned about the perennial flooding situation that we face, not only in Accra but across the country, decided to set up a special task force to start work to at least try and reduce, if not prevent, flooding particularly within the Accra metropolis as we prepare for the rains.”

He said, our job is to find out where we have challenges – ie where do we have drains that are choked that we need to desilt, where we have channels through which rain water flows into the sea and where there are problems, we can see what engineering and mechanical solutions we can find to them.”

Stan Dogbe announced that in collaboration with the 48 Engineers Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, the Local Government will immediately begin the desilting of drains across Accra.

The main goal of the taskforce is to identify and address the challenges in flood-prone areas.

They are focusing on drains that need desilting, as well as channels through which rainwater flows into the sea. The taskforce is also working to find engineering and mechanical solutions to these issues.

Minister for Water Resources, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, highlighted the urgency of desilting the Odaw River, one of the most affected areas.

He said, “From the exercise, we realised that the Odaw is heavily silted, and as a ministry, we are going to take measures to ensure that we desilt it as soon as possible before the rains start”

Minister for Local Government, Ahmed Ibrahim, stressed the scale of the problem, particularly in relation to human activities.

Source: myjoyonline.com