Presidency to demolish encroaching structures around Tesa Dam, East Legon to reduce flood risk
The Presidency has announced plans to demolish structures encroaching on the Tesa Dam near the East Legon Boundary Road in Accra as part of efforts to restore the dam's capacity and reduce the risk of flooding.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, the Presidency said a government flood mitigation team discovered during an inspection that the dam had been significantly reduced in size due to widespread encroachment.
According to the team, some individuals had illegally constructed retaining walls within the dam's catchment area, while portions of the land had been occupied by a densely populated slum settlement made up largely of wooden structures.
"At the Tesa Dam adjacent to the Boundary Road, some individuals have constructed illegal retaining walls within the area, and these structures have been marked for demolition. The team also identified a dense slum settlement near the dam comprising largely wooden structures. The settlement was found to pose serious health and sanitation concerns," the statement said.
The Presidency added that the affected structures have been marked for demolition to restore the dam's water-holding capacity and minimise the likelihood of future flooding.
"Following the assessment, the affected area has been marked for demolition as part of efforts to restore the dam's capacity and mitigate future flooding risks," the post added.
The planned demolitions form part of broader government measures to remove illegal structures obstructing waterways following the recent floods in Accra, which claimed about 37 lives, destroyed homes and businesses, and disrupted transportation across several communities.
The disaster also triggered large-scale rescue operations involving the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana National Fire Service, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and other emergency response agencies.
As part of the government's post-flood response, Friday, July 10, and Saturday, July 11, have been designated National Sanitation Days in the seven regions affected by the floods.