General News of Friday, 23 April 2010

Source: GNA

Government to construct drains in some flood prone areas - Dr Bissiw

Accra, April 23, GNA - Dr. Louisa Hannah Bissiw, Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing on Friday inspected some sites earmarked for the construction of drains in Accra.

The project is being undertaken to end the perennial flooding in some parts of the metropolis.

The projects are located at American House area at East Legon, K. Amo Avenue in West Legon, Adjei Mensah in Haasto, Haasto Agbogba, Cosway and some areas in Kwabenya.

Dr. Bissiw who addressed newsmen after the tour expressed government's concern about the perennial flooding in Accra and blamed the incident partly on estate developers who build indiscriminately on waterways. "It is disturbing when people put up buildings at inappropriate places especially on waterways and create problems for the communities, during the rainy season. We will demolish all these buildings for the drains to be constructed," she said.

Mr. Wise Ametefe, Head of Drainages of the Hydrological Services Department said the projects to commence next week would include widening and deepening of the drains as well as the construction of new water channels.

He said the projects would take three months to complete and would be extended to other flood prone areas when more funds are available. Mrs. Victoria Esinam Assa Offei, Assemblywoman for K. Amo Avenue, West Legon expressed appreciation to government for the prompt response to their plight.

She pledged the preparedness of the people to collaborate with the contractors to complete the projects on schedule. In another development, Dr. Bissiw visited Adenkrabi, a village in Ga East Municipal to inspect a broken down mechanised borehole and pledged government's commitment to provide a new borehole. Nana Addo Adjei, a Spokesman for the people thanked government for the gesture and called for speedy construction of the borehole.