By
Prosper K. Kuorsoh, GNA
Yali-Yaru, (U/W),
July 22, GNA – The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in collaboration with the Ghana National Fire
Service (GNFS) has embarked on early warning preparedness drive in flood prone
communities in the Upper West Region (UWR).
The exercise is
targeted at educating communities to understand and sufficiently prepare
themselves to avoid imminent flood related disasters and its aftermath effects
as the rains intensify.
Officials described
the public education programme as a national security one when they met the
people of Yali-Yaru community in the Nadowli-Kaleo District on Friday.
The UWR Deputy Chief
Fire Officer (DCFO), Mr Kwaku Manu Afful who is Director of Operations at GNFS
said the workout session aimed to sensitise communities on the dangers of
living around or farming in flood prone areas.
It was also to help
the state officials to assess the disaster preparedness of various Metropolitan,
Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the region.
Naa Danwaa Musah
Kuonbayaa, the Chief of Yali-Yaru community recounted how their food crops
along the banks of the Black Volta River were washed away by the floods last
year, inflicting hunger and suffering on communities there.
Only that portion of
their land was fertile, he said, but due to the danger they had abandoned the
area this year and now engage in backyard farming.
He projected the
people would continue to suffer because they did not get enough acreage of
farmland to be able to sustain their families and appealed to government,
benevolent organisations and philanthropists for support.
NADMO and GNFS
commended the people for abandoning their farms along the area this year,
saying it was better not to farm there than to do it and later lose their lives
and resources to floods.
At Kul-ora community
in the Jirapa District, the team was amazed to see several farms planted with
crops such as rice, maize and guinea corn among others being drenched in flood.
The community
appeared helpless and were aware of the dangers but continued do farm along the
flood prone area because they did not have any other land to farm.
Mr Isaac Seidu, the
Upper West Regional Director of NADMO, expressed sadness seeing the danger the
communities were exposed to despite continued sensitisation against farming in
flood prone areas.
The team also
visited Dipke and Bagri rivers both in Lawra Municipal where, they advised
communities against building and farming along the river banks.
Mr Daniel Yirzuu,
Assembly member for Bagri Electoral Area said members of the community living
around the banks of the Bagri River were willing to relocate but needed some
form of support from central government to put up housing facilities.
At Nandom, the team
could not reach one of the floods prone areas as the road and some farms around
were flooded making their determination to get to the target area a huge risk.
Mr Aasoglenang
Thaddeus Arkum, the Nandom District Chief Executive (DCE) said there were about
46 flood prone communities in the district, but due to land issues and also
because of familiarity with cultural artefacts, it was difficult to get
communities to relocate.
But he added that
with continuous education, they would gradually come to understand the need and
agree to move to a safe place.
GNA