Collins Dauda, Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing on Friday toured Accra/Tema metropolitan areas to inspect on-going drainage works in preparedness for the rainy season.

The essence of the tour was to access progress of work on some major drainage in the two cities and also to analyse the feasibility of opening more drainage channels.

The areas visited included the Achimota excavation work site at mile seven, the Nima drain and the Sakumono inlet project.

Mr Dauda educated residents on the dangers of dumping solid waste into drains especially as we enter the rainy season and advised them to “police the drains.”

He also interacted with Assembly members, Contractors, Engineers as well as Consultants at the Hydrological Department.

He said the Achimota Excavation Work site and the Nima drains needed concrete lining for the drainage systems to be solid and cautioned residents not to throw refuse into the water channels.

“We must avoid choking the drains which most often results in creating manmade disasters when the rain starts,” he said.

The Minister said the total sum for the drainage system was 10 million Ghana cedis. Parliament had already approved GHC300, 000 for construction to start.

Mr James Akogo, Assembly man for the Abofu electoral area in Accra pointed out that the drainage, which links the Odaw River had not been desilted for about 37 years.

He was grateful to government for initiating the move to desilt the river and appealed to Government to complete the drainage system to relieve residents of the perennial floods.

Mr Seth Kudzordzi, Senior Engineer at the Hydrological Department said the Nima drain, which is a covered drainage system under construction, was about 1.6 kilometres and 2.5 in height.

He noted that water from the Nima drainage feeds into the Odaw River and its benefits would serve as a tunnel to convey waste water towards the Odaw River.

He said the velocity of water for the covered drainage would be checked in a pond at a particular time to contain floods.

Dr Mustapha Ahmed, Member of Parliament for Ayawaso East noted that the Nima drainage system would help improve the conditions and living standards for the people in his constituency and prevent residents from throwing refuse into it.

Dr Ahmed mentioned that the project was halted for a period because the Contractor working on it did not meet the deadline given him.

His contract was abrogated for a new contractor to take over.

He was hopeful the new contractor would work vigorously to meet the time frame devoid of shoddy works.

Professor Alizu Wornu of Worcul Construction limited, the new contractors, said his outfit would commence work on Monday May 13 since Government has provided funds for work to resume.

Mr Ernest Kusi Minkah, Senior Consultant at the Hydrological Department mentioned that the Sakumo inlet lagoon project, which is 30 metres and 100ft, was under construction to ease the perennial flooding in the area.

He stated that the major problem facing the Sakumo lagoon was its “quick sand effect” and tidal influence but the Contractor had been working closely with the department to continue the project and 70 per cent work had been done.

He said water coming from Madina, Klagon, Afienya and Ashaiman flows into the sakumo lagoon hence the need to work briskly for the project to be completed by August this year.