Houses built on waterways will be demolished as a measure to reduce the impact of flooding on the population
DAKAR (AlertNet) – Ghanaian President John Atta Mills has authorised the demolition of houses built on waterways as a measure to reduce the impact of flooding on the population, following recent deadly inundations in the country, a radio station has reported.
Experts say these houses block water from flowing during heavy rainfall and when rivers burst their banks, as was the case in the last floods. The recent floods killed eleven people and more than 14,000 others saw their homes or property destroyed, according to Ghana’s national disaster management organization (NADMO)
Joy FM radio station also reported that local authorities in Accra started pulling down a number of structures dotted along the Odaw River as part of action to mitigate the impact of future floods.
An opinion piece in the Ghanaian Chronicle blamed the floods on littering that had blocked drainages in the city.
“Littering, this time around, has been considered a cause of flooding, as it has caused most of the few existing drains in the country to become chocked,” the paper said.
“It is the responsibility of the various metropolitan assemblies or litter wardens in the country to make sure the environment is litter-free,” it added.
Meanwhile, car dealers in parts of Ghana’s capital Accra have posted an estimated loss of 50 million Cedi ($31,272,445) following recent floods that hit the country, the Daily Guide newspaper reported on Wednesday.
“This is the worst disaster so far,' said Paul Kwabena Peprah, president of the Ghana Automobile Distributors Association. (GADA). “We have experienced floods before but not to this extent,” he added.
(Editing by Rebekah Curtis)
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