The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) in partnership with Conti Infrastructure Ghana Limited is to start work on a $595 million Accra Sanitation, Sewer and Storm-Water Drainage Alleviation Project to control the perennial flooding as well as the sanitation challenges confronting the capital.

Conti Infrastructure Ghana Limited would be joined by two local contractors, Zoomlion Ghana Limited and Watertech Limited to execute the project.

The project intends to improve Accra’s flood protection and waste water treatment as well as steps forward the city’s position as the Millennium city.

Parliament has approved the loan facilities with the Export –Import Bank (EXIM) of the USA and providing $53,299,497, while the Standard Chartered Bank is also contributing$125,000.

The scope of the work will include desilting, dredging new siltation ponds and the removal of from the Odaw drains and the Korle lagoons.

It will also construct public toilets and eliminate sting and odour around the Korle Lagoon and the Odaw River; as well as restore the operation of the existing waste-water treatment plan.

Mr Afred Okoe Vanderpuije, the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, said the project would be divided into two stages.

Stage one A is the immediate construction stage which comprise of approximately 150,000m cube of channel cleaning and excavation of the Odaw channel, Central Business District Drain, and the KLERP Interceptor area.

Bathymetric survey of the Korle Lagoon would be conducted to prepare the exact dredging scope and design for stage 1b of the work, waste collection would finally be conducted.

He said Stage 1b of the project will re-vitalize and dredge 500,000 meter cube area of the Korle Lagoon. Twenty hectares of sedimentation basins upstream would be constructed along the Odaw Channel.

The stage 2 of the implementation stage will include the construction of a 15- kilometer storm sewer and combination sewer works throughout Accra with priority drain upgrades in Mataheko, Mampon and south Kaneshie drains.

About 6,300 meters of u-drain covers in Mataheko and the central business districts of Accra would be installed.

The Jamestown Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) project would be upgraded and re-commissioned after which 50 public toilet facilities would be constructed.

The implementers will design and construct a new 450 metric ton per day waste sorting facility and operate and maintain the facility for 3 years after its commissioning.

The implementers would provide waste collection services during its execution and carry out feasibility studies and new landfill design.

Mr Vanderpiuje said Accra has nine major drainage basins namely the Odaw, Lafa, Chemu, Kpeshie, Osu klottey, Morkwei, La, Songhor and the Korle Lagoon.

He explained that because these drains were mostly choked with waste, e-waste and other solid materials hence the perennial flooding in the city adding that the project was expected to bring significant change and make Accra one of the finest cities in Africa.