The Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (ASHMA) last Friday commenced a demolishing exercise to remove all unauthorised structures along waterways within the Municipality, with the sole aim of reducing flooding in the area with the coming of the rains, if not stop it completely.

About 250 houses, located along the demarcated areas within the Municipality, are expected to be pulled down in the exercise, which is expected to last three to five days.

The exercise, which started from Community 22, through Ashaiman New Town, Ashaiman Jericho, Roman Down, Moneomanye, Ashaiman Zone Five, and is expected to end at the Irrigation Dam Site, where the Gbemi and Armah Tsuru rivers meet, saw bulldozers tearing apart unauthorised structures.

Addressing the media before the commencement of the exercise, the ASHMA Chief Executive, Numo Addinortey Addison, explained that the Assembly had given enough notices to the residents along the route, and he was confident that they were aware of the impending exercise.

He hinted that since December last year, they had used certain mass media such as radio and other means to announce the intended exercise to them.

He gave three main reasons why the exercise was very necessary, firstly, because “We don't want a repetition of flooding in the area, which led to some people losing their lives, secondly, the people have no permits to build there, and finally, we are ready to start the construction of the storm drain in the area to make life comfortable for residents in the area.”

He disclosed that some of the residents had already started removing their structures, including kiosks and containers, from the area, to pave the way for the exercise to start.

At the site, the Tema File saw that some of the residents had started removing their structures, even before the combined team of ASHMA task force and military personnel got there.

By Richard Kofi Attenkah