Some of the residents touring one of the drains in the area.
RESIDENTS OF Community 17, Lashibi near Tema are calling on authorities as a matter of emergency to demolish structures on waterways to prevent looming national disaster.
The residence group, Water Disaster Victims Association, urged the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) and the Ministry of Roads and Highways to identify structures on waterways which cause flood and end up claiming human lives. Recent rains were alleged to have claimed three lives as a result of the poor nature of drains in the area which cannot contain the volume of water from other communities.
Andy Yao Amenakpor, chairman of association, who toured the area with a section of the media to ascertain havocs caused by flood in the community as a result of unavailability of drains and haphazard way of building in the community, lamented heavily, saying, ‘We have been neglected for far too long in spite of several complaints about lack of drainage system and need to improve the access roads in the area.’
He explained that whilst nothing practical was being done to alleviate their problems, more gutters were recently constructed to connect the already non-existent drainage systems in our area.
Mr Amenakpor continued that the newly-constructed drainage systems from Community 16 and its surroundings have seriously aggravated their already precarious situation, endangering life and properties.
He added, ‘We are ready to cooperate with authorities to demolish structures on the waterway to prevent any possible national disaster.’
We fear this problem will degenerate into national disaster if immediate steps are not taken to arrest the situation. In fact, the recent heavy rain has caused a lot of damages to properties in the area.’
Mr Amenakpor appealed to the authorities responsible for the construction to improve upon road networks in the area to make the community accessible.
Nii Richard Amugi, assembly member of the Community 17 electoral area, also expressed his disappointment in authorities in finding proper measures to the challenges albeit several complaints followed with petitions.
He added that the community is ready to give any available assistance to authorities to help execute the project on time.
From Vincent Kubi, Tema
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