Zoomlion Ghana Limited, the National Disaster Management Oganization (NADMO) and its partners have posted officers in all the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) across Greater Accra to monitor and maintain flood-prone drains, in a bid to sustain gains made during a 3-day clean-up, desilting and dredging exercise as the rainy season intensifies.
The move follows a June 10-12 anti-flood desilting exercise done with FeDems Limited, Dredge Masters Limited, Ghana Police Service, Ghana National Fire Service and MMDAs. The operation cleared major drains at Mallam, GBC, Weija, Circle, Kaneshie and Ablekuma West after recent downpours flooded parts of the capital.
Zoomlion Greater Accra Regional Manager Ricky Anokye Frimpong speakiing to the media said the deployment of officers is central to sustainability.
“To ensure sustainability, we have attached our officers to the MMDAs. We know that at least quarterly this kind of exercise will go on. And we have a campaign with NADMO: ‘No Do No Do’ – Flood Awareness Campaign. And we know it will help a lot to keep these gutters clean as we’ve done for the past three days,” Frimpong said.
Each officer will work directly with Environmental Health departments of their assigned MMDA and NADMO district officers to track flashpoints and schedule regular desilting.
In Ablekuma West’s Shiabu Electoral Area, Municipal Chief Executive, George Kpakpo Allotey said the goal was “to have this place in shape so that at least we can have our gutters free to allow free flow of water.”
Enforcement began immediately: “We also identified that some people have put some structures on the gutters. We’ve asked them to clear it in the next two hours. Otherwise, we will take it off, and they agreed to do that,” Hon. Allotey stressed.
Hon. Allotey blamed human behaviour for recurring floods and called for a change in attitude. “We are appealing to people to stop dumping refuse in the gutters because the gutters are there to allow free flow of water. Once you put garbage in, it means that the water will not be able to flow, and that will cause a lot of flooding,” he said.
He described flooding as a national challenge: “Every year we talk about this flooding, but this time the rains are a bit heavier than normal… when you look at from Weija and beyond, all the waterway has been encroached upon. So it is more of a national issue than a municipal issue.”
The MCE said the Assembly will now clear all gutters after years of neglect. “This exercise has not been done for like eight years. So definitely, this is overdue, but as a municipal assembly, we are determined to ensure that we clean and clear all the gutters within the municipality.”
He urged residents to help with enforcement: “Our message for Ghanaians is to change our attitude. If the gutters are constructed, then you use them for the purpose why they are created… And when you see somebody dumping refuse into the gutters, just report the person, and then we will deal with the person accordingly.”
Frimpong warned that current rains are only the beginning. “This is just the side attraction that we are experiencing. The real rains are coming and as it’s coming, we need to prepare for it,” he said.
He stressed that flooding in Accra is largely preventable through proper waste disposal and routine maintenance. “What we want our citizens, especially those in Greater Accra to know is that this flood, getting into the gutters, is not just by natural means. It’s man-made issues. If you’re able to stop dumping refuse in the gutters… it will not get into this drain for it to cause flooding,” Frimpong stated.
“We constructed these gutters to accommodate the water when it rains, but these gutters have been filled with rubbish, silt and all those things, and we have to dredge them,” he added.
The sustainability plan also includes community engagement through unit committees to mobilize residents for quarterly clean-ups and report illegal dumping.
