Reconstruct Owabi bridge to end perennial floods – Residents to gov't

Commuters, who often cross the Owabi River to get to Kumasi, have appealed to the Government to, as a matter of urgency, reconstruct the bridge at the Atafoa section of the river to facilitate their movement, especially during heavy rains.

The appeal comes in the wake of a near drowning of some commuters who attempted to use the bridge on the overflowing river at Atafoa Tuesday evening, after a downpour in Kumasi.

Several other commuters and residents were stranded for long hours, when it became impossible to cross to their various destinations.

Residents in communities such as Asuofua, Adankwame, Ohwim, and Barekese in the Atwima-Nwabiagya North District find it difficult to cross the river by using the bridge to their destinations whenever there was a downpour.

Several appeals by the residents for the reconstruction and expansion of the bridge to accommodate the heavy flow of flood waters, mostly from the Suame Municipality and the Kumasi Metropolis, have not been successful.

Tuesday's incident, which resulted in a near disaster forcing many residents in the area to be stranded for long hours, have reinforced their call for immediate action on the bridge.

According to some of the affected persons, they were able to get to their destinations around midnight on Tuesday.

Mr Daniel Acheampong, the Assembly member for Abrepo-Mpatasie Electoral Area, told the media that the reconstruction of the bridge was long overdue.

He, however, said a lot of work had been done and subsequent ones would soon start to relieve the people of the difficulties they go through during heavy rains in Kumasi.

Mr Acheampong blamed the frequent overflow of the river on the dumping of refuse by some residents along its banks and advised those people to desist from the act.

When the Ghana News Agency visited the area Wednesday morning, there was heavy vehicular traffic on the road, as the river current was subsiding.

The Tuesday afternoon rains also caused havoc in several communities in Kumasi and the Asokore-Mampong Municipality, where Sawaba, Asabi and adjoining communities were hit by floods.

Many homes got flooded and when the GNA visited some of the communities Wednesday morning, the affected people were still counting their losses.

Though no casualties have been reported some affected persons told the GNA that they had lost everything to the floods.

GNA