Flooding, following heavy rainfalls, has displaced more than 3,500 people in the first quarter of this year, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Office of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NaDMO) has revealed.

Mr. Alfred Attah-Yeboah, the Regional NaDMO Director in-charge of operations, disclosed to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Sunyani, saying that 19,000 people suffered similar disaster at the same time last year.

He said five people died in last year’s disaster, adding that 50 school blocks and 1,008 houses were also affected in that tragedy.

Mr. Attah-Yeboah stated that 1,500 tragedies during that period (2018) included 143 domestic bush fires and 393 floods.

He said 143 hectares of food and cash crops farms were burnt, indicating that total cost of properties destroyed in the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions in 2018 was estimated to be more than GHS8million.

Mr. Atta-Yeboah advised the public to desist from building on waterways and engaging in other activities such as indiscriminate felling of trees and dumping of rubbish into drainage systems because of their negative effect on the environment.

He said the regional office would intensify education in schools, churches, mosques and on local radio stations, in addition to organising community durbars to sensitise the public on the dangers of fire and flood disasters.

Mr. Attah- Yeboah said the Office was prepared to respond to any form of disaster in the Bono and Ahafo Regions and appealed to individuals, institutions and philanthropist to assist the Office with materials that could be used to support displaced people.