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01.07.2017 Regional News

KMA moves to reduce disasters and cushion victims

By Ghanaian Chronicle
Hon. Osei Assibey Antwi-KMA bossHon. Osei Assibey Antwi-KMA boss
01.07.2017 LISTEN

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), as part of measures to manage disasters when they occur, has decided to stockpile adequate and relevant relief items from the Disaster Management Fund to assist victims of disasters.

The Metropolitan Chief Executive, Osei Assibey Antwi, while addressing Assembly members at an ordinary general assembly meeting, said the KMA would take advantage of the Disaster Management Fund to support disaster operations at the metropolitan and district levels, under the amended NADMO Act which has introduced new measures to address disasters.

He said the Assembly would liaise with the National Directorate of NADMO to seek further guidance on how to access and utilize such funds to mitigate disasters in our communities.

The KMA boss noted that since one of the key components of disaster management is the level of the communities' preparations in anticipation of unpredicted or inevitable events, the Assembly shall identify specific spots and designate them as safe havens, where victims of disasters can assemble for immediate relief.

He said since studies have shown that victims of disasters are rendered very vulnerable if no response is received within the first 24 hours, the KMA intends to mobilize volunteers in every electoral area in the metropolis and equipped them with the necessary training to assist affected persons in times of need.

Osei Assibey Antwi also indicated that the KMA shall resource and build the capacity of its NADMO staff and the volunteers to enable them carry out the required assessments and assist with the needed relief items, so that the suffering of the victims would be alleviated, whilst steps are taken to embark on the reconstruction phase of the disaster management process, within the shortest possible time.

He noted that all over the world, disasters have never been successfully managed and that they are done through a reactionary process instead of proactive actions where the communities are conscientised of the natural, man-made, self-inflicted and sometimes the inevitable risks surrounding them.

As a result, the KMA boss said the Assembly, through its Environmental Management Sub-Committee shall collaborate with National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), the Emergency Services, such as the Fire Service, Ghana Ambulance Service, as well as the Ghana Red Cross Society and St. John's Ambulance Service, to carry out massive public education on how to identify the various activities and occurrences that have the potential to trigger disasters.

He said the KMA would also collaborate with the Ghana Education Service to also explore the possibility of introducing the teaching of Domestic First Aid and other courses towards disaster risk reduction, as an extra curriculum activity in the schools.

He also proposed that such an exercise should be extended to various groups and associations in the metropolis.

On Managing Flooding, MCE Assibey Antwi said since the Kumasi Metropolis has several streams and rivers such as Susan, Aboabo, Suntreso, Subin and Wewe among others, with most of the suburbs in low lying terrain, the KMA would take a cursory look at the landscape of Kumasi and find ways of reducing the incidence of floods within communities.

According to him, the KMA would intensify the ongoing projects and commence the dredging of the storm drains, as well as the construction of concrete walls in the rivers/streams, as well as maintain water courses and drains to required standards to avoid overflow or flooding.

They also intend to remove waste from water courses/drains, minimise shoreline erosion that claims vast portions of our lands for settlement and agricultural purposes and discuss with the residents living very close to the storm drains on their possible relocation to higher and safer grounds.

The KMA boss described as alarming the 671 fires recorded in the metropolis, out of the 1,356 cases recorded in the Ashanti Region.

Quoting data from Regional Fire Service, the MCE said Kumasi recorded 136 fire outbreaks between January and February 2017, and that from 1993 to date the Kumasi Central market alone recorded 49 fires, out of which 19 were classified as major outbreaks.

He also referred to the fire outbreak on April 10, 2017, which destroyed the stores in front of the Central Market.

From Sebastian R. Freiku, Kumasi.

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