President John Dramani Mahama has urged Ghanaians to stop the indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains, warning that the practice continues to worsen flooding in many parts of the country.
The President made the call on Friday, June 10 while supervising desilting works along the main Alajo drain as part of the two-day National Clean-Up Exercise being observed across the country.
The exercise was introduced in the aftermath of the devastating June 29 floods, which affected several communities in Greater Accra and other parts of the country, killing more than a dozen people, destroying properties and displacing hundreds of families.
Speaking during the exercise, Mahama said the ongoing desilting works had exposed the extent of waste accumulation in the city’s drainage systems.
“Finally, we can see what the cause of our problem is. We’ve just desilted this. Look at the plastics that we are taking out of it,” he said.
According to him, years of accumulated silt and plastic waste have significantly reduced the capacity of drains to carry stormwater during heavy rains.
He also cautioned against the practice of leaving dredged silt by the roadside, noting that rainfall often washes it back into the drains.
“Let’s make sure that after we take all this silt out, we bring enough capacity to transport this silt and dump it somewhere appropriate,” he urged.
Mahama expressed satisfaction with the public response to the clean-up exercise and commended residents who participated in the initiative across the country.
“I’ve gone around the city. I’ve seen the turnout has been very good,” he said.
He disclosed that the Ghana Armed Forces and other security agencies would continue dredging major waterways to improve drainage and reduce flood risks.
“The military and other services are going to continue to dredge the main waterways so that these drains can have an outlet to send the water,” he added.
The President further announced plans to institutionalise the exercise by dedicating at least one day every month to nationwide sanitation activities.
Mahama expressed optimism that sustained public participation and collaboration with waste management companies would help keep cities clean and significantly reduce flooding in the years ahead.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
