Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, Ashanti Region has cautioned Residents of the Kumasi metropolis to desist from actions that will cause floods in Kumasi.
Actions of some residents, Mr. Samuel Oteng said have been noticed by the Agency as the cause of flooding.
“It is out of our own attitudes or some of the activities that we undertake that creates some of these problems for us, so as we enter into the rainy season, what we are urging the general public is to desist from some of the activities, actions and inactions that may create this kind of situation. It mostly has to do with people throwing away rubbish and all sort of things into the gutters…sometimes people attempt to do construction activities that may block the flow of water and rivers that may also create problems for us.”
Mr. Oteng said the Agency has taken measures to educate and sensitize the general public on the need to protect the environment.
“Together, we all can build Ghana, we all can build Kumasi, it will not take only the officers of the agency to do that, we will always talk, we will always give the enlightenment, we will always tell the people what is to be done or what not be done, but if the public don’t come on board, there will be difficulty, that is why we are always appealing to the general public to come on board so that together we will dialogue and move the country.”
He hinted of an exercise by the EPA next week to check whether various institutions are meeting the Agency’s requirements.
“we have been trying always to clean the system…We are going to embark on an exercise where the officers will go round with the security agencies to check who is complying and who is not complying, those who are not complying are always punished to the extent of sometime closing some activities, those we think will pose threat.”
Heavy rains in Kumasi in June 2015 left some parts of the area flooded and the destruction of properties.
Hundreds of residents were displaced by the torrential rains and areas including Bekwai and Santasi roundabout, Kwadaso nsuom, Fourth gardens and Ahinsan estates ravaged by the floods.
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By: Lauretta Timah/citifmonline.com/Ghana