Bye-laws on sanitation and unauthorized structures to be enforced – Minister

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Accra, July 7, GNA – Nii Armah Ashitey, Greater Accra Regional Minister on Tuesday said structures obstructing the free flow of water would be demolished to ensure that man-made disasters did not occur in future.

Mr Ashitey said a visit to some of the flooded areas showed that hundreds of kiosks and other illegal structures had been built on drains and waterways and that most of the gutters and drains were choked with refuse.

The Minister made this known in a statement he read on the floor of Parliament on the recent flooding in some parts of Accra which claimed seven lives.

He said; “Certainly we cannot escape flooding where it is an act of God, but sadly the problem that we face is hugely man-made,” adding that, some of the areas that got flooded could have been avoided.

“It has come to a time that we need to do what we have to do, that is decongest and remove the obstructing structures,” he said.

He said the district assemblies who were to lead in the enforcement of sanitation rules and regulations as well as the bye-laws had failed to do so, “but with a little effort and dedication from the assemblies, we may be able to put things back on track.”

Mr Ashitey said there was the need to find a more scientific and sustainable way towards sanitation and decongestion in the capital.

He said a team of experts in Urban Planning, Design and Engineering had looked at the various options available and had advised on some measures to take.

The Minister said a preliminary report from the experts indicated that the major reasons for the congestions in the cities were the over concentration of economic activities in the city centres due to some attractions.

He said the experts had indicated that a more suitable approach would be to relocate those attractions to areas outside the city of Accra completely.

“It is only after these basic attractions to the city centres are addressed, coupled with sustained public education against indiscriminate disposal of waste, not to mention societal indiscipline, that we may be able to curb the menace.”

“We should not politicize this disaster and obviously the hard measures that have to be taken to prevent the recurrence of floods in Accra. We cannot stand aloof anymore for even one more live to be lost,” he said.

Mr Ashitey said measures to forestall future flooding in some part of the city include the desilting of drains in Mataheko, Blue Lagoon, Mallam and Kaneshie, as well as the construction of drains and coverts.

He said the Ministry of Roads and Highways and the Hydro Division of the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing also intended to desilt the underground storm drain on the Kaneshie-Mallam road and re-align sections of the drains around the Obetsebi Lamtey Circle.

GNA