Work has begun on the construction of a second spillway to channel excess water from the Mamahuma Stream, also known as the Fulani Dam, in the Adentan Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.
The project, awarded by the Adentan Municipal Assembly and being undertaken by Wordsworth Universal Limited, a construction firm, involves the laying of a concrete base and side walls to protect the culverts expected to be installed to reinforce the spillway.
The dam serves as the main collection point for runoff from the mountains during the rainy season.
The intervention follows the full rehabilitation of the road that acts as a buffer for the dam.
The road was washed away after a heavy downpour on May 25 last year, which flooded about 50 homes, displaced more than 480 residents, destroyed properties worth millions of cedis and swept away several cattle.
The incident left only about two feet of space between the stream and the road linking the Ashieyie and Fulani Down communities, with water seeping underneath and posing a serious risk of collapse.
To address the situation, the damaged sections of the road were reinforced with boulders and gravel reaching about 28 feet high to secure the dam and prevent it from overflowing its banks during the rainy season.
When The Ghanaian Times visited the area yesterday, the contractor, Mr Mawuli Ashiagbor, said the road works had been completed.
He explained that the dam had now been adequately secured and indicated that the spillway would be completed within two to three weeks.
The Municipal Engineer, Mr Kweku Salifu Asubay, also explained in an interview that the assembly decided to reconstruct the road to prevent a recurrence of last year’s disaster, which left the area devastated.
In its November 25 edition, The Ghanaian Times reported that victims of the May 25 floods at the Ashieyie-Fulani last stop had appealed to the government to urgently reconstruct the area. They warned that the community risked another disaster if the only road serving as a protective buffer for the dam was again washed away by heavy runoff.
Earlier, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Ms Ella Christine Esinam Nongo, had indicated in an interview that the repair works were beyond the assembly’s capacity.
She said the matter had been referred to the Regional Minister for approval and assured that rehabilitation would be fast-tracked once approval was granted.
BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU
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