Mr. John Amarlai Amartey, the Central Regional Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has appealed to Ghanaians to desist from building on waterways to avoid the perennial flooding with the slightest downpour.

The Commander has also advised persons living in low-lying areas to voluntarily move to uplands and stop the indiscriminate dumping of refuse which eventually chock gutters causing flooding.

The Regional GNFS Commander, gave the advice in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after touring some flood-prone communities in the Cape Coast Metropolis after Wednesday's torrential rains which inundated many homes and virtually submerged many communities.

Accompanied by Mr. Felix Taylor, the Cape Coast Metro Engineer, the team visited affected communities including Abura, Tankokrom, Apewosika, Amamoma, and University of Cape Coast (UCC) among others.

The team also visited Baden Ghartey Hospital which was not spared due to poor drainage systems at the area with several people trapped in their homes.

He described the impact of the flooding running into several thousands of cedis as ‘devastating’.

He lauded personnel of the GNFS across the Region for their swift response to emergency services at the peak of the floods in the various communities. The Regional Commander urged parents to monitor their children and not allow the out during down pour and advocated for good drainage systems, proper building designs and full enforcement of the law.