Accra Again?

Yesterday Accra residents had a rude reminder of the June 3 tragedy when another downpour visited the city and flooded it. Many could not subdue an urge to ask, 'Accra again?'

Kaneshie, portions of Nima, Circle and some parts of Asylum Down were flooded at a time of the year when most residents least expected such a weather development. Whatever happened to the desilting exercise which took place on the Odaw River around Circle, the cost of which is not modest amidst controversial questions of propriety?

Should the time be fast-tracked to June, the peak of the rains, we would still experience floods in Accra. That is a fact we should not ignore because we have not changed how we conduct ourselves both in private and public lives.

Instead of detaching ourselves from politics and moving forward as one people with a common destiny in matters which concern the development of our country, we prefer the contrary; in the event, failing to manage things well.

The negative impact of human activities on the environment is not a new story. It has been told and retold over time yet little or no change is being witnessed.

A piece of good news in the face of the gloom and doom is that plastics which are non-biodegradable would soon not be allowed in the country, their role in choking drains very significant.

Which political party started which project is preferred to the quality of the output of contracts.   The nation's capital, it is clear, can no longer stand five hours of rainfall.

The spectacle of motorists manoeuvring their way through flooded highways on routes—some of them ceremonial ones—bespeak of the poor engineering which went into their construction.

We are in for a long haul of challenges. Who said the June 3 incident was the last one Accra is going to witness? Of course when we change the manner in which we manage issues, we should be able to stop the floods or even reduce them to the barest minimum.

The fact that areas which were previously not flood-prone are now experiencing such phenomena suggests that something is wrong somewhere.

Should we not fret when after so much was expended on desilting some drains following the June 3 water and fire tragedy two downpours outside the main rainy season would still exact the kind of flood we saw yesterday?

Those in charge of managing public matters should wake up to their responsibilities. When the demolition exercise began following the June 3 tragedy, attention was drawn to some lapses in the operation by observers. It is our take that observations, when they are made, should be considered without the political lenses as we are used to doing.