Any end to floods in Accra?(Feature)25/06/09

Asks: Jennifer Dornoo
THE nation’s capital, Accra, has over the years been experiencing floods. The floods normally come along with severe casualties, including loss of lives and the destruction of properties worth millions of Cedis.
Just last Friday, June 19, 2009, at least seven lives were lost while a number of private and public property including roads were destroyed. Additionally, many people were rendered homeless after two hours of rain.
What happened on Friday was not different from a similar incident that occurred in Accra on April 7, 2008. On that occasion severe floods hit parts of Accra following a downpour and destroyed property and rendered dozens of people homeless at areas such as North Kaneshie and the Odawna Shopping Mall.
The question one may ask is how we can deal with the situation. Is there any hope that we can minimise floods and reduce the consequences anytime it rains in Accra?
The answers are not farfetched, but do we have the political will to deal with the situation?
Indeed, nobody can dream of controlling rainfall but the consequences of the rainfall can be minimised.
The nation’s capital has obvious problems. There are many unauthorised structures along waterlogged areas and along the streets. These structures impede the free flow of water any time it rains hence the floods.
One wonders whether there are state institutions responsible for the planning of Accra. More often than not, we are slow in taking action until catastrophe occurs. How can the authorities sit aloof for settlements like Sodom and Gomorrah to spring up only for us to attempt at pulling them down at a greater cost to the individuals and the state?
Besides the unauthorised structures, the careless disposal of industrial and domestic waste is also a factor responsible for the floods. Gutters that should serve as avenues for free flow of water have been choked making it difficult for water to get easy access.
Furthermore, wetlands and waterlogged areas have been converted into residential areas and for commercial activities.
The planned decongestion of the city by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) should be supported by all. The congestion in the Accra central business district created by the traders is one of the causes of the huge garbage in the area and a contributory factor to the floods.
It is unfortunate that seven lives were lost in last Friday’s floods but the incident should serve as a wake-up call for us to take action to prevent similar occurrences. There is the need to restructure the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to make it more proactive instead of reactive.
Nobody needs to tell us that the floods have become part of us and every year they are likely to occur. We should, therefore, prepare instead of always sitting down for floods to occur before we take action. A stitch in time saves nine.
There is the need for Ghanaians to stop politicising efforts by the government to clear the streets of hawkers, unauthorised structures and filth to reduce the impact of floods and save lives and property.