The Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC) has announced measures to enforce the mandatory 50-metre buffer zone along major water bodies in the capital, with all illegal structures within the areas set to be demolished.
The exercise will begin in the Ayawaso Central Municipal, La Dade-Kotopon Municipal and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), under the supervision of the GARCC.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Ms Linda Ocloo, who disclosed this during a media briefing, said the move formed part of government’s efforts to address the recurring flooding situation in the capital.
She explained that although drainage improvement projects were ongoing, encroachment on waterways, indiscriminate dumping of waste and poor sanitation practices continued to undermine efforts to reduce flood risks.
Ms Ocloo announced the measures during an inspection tour of Gallaway, Agbogbloshie, the Korle Lagoon, Ayawaso Central and La Dade-Kotopon on Tuesday.
The tour came barely a month after severe floods submerged homes, displaced thousands of residents and highlighted the growing threat posed by the encroachment of waterways.
She said the recent floods had reinforced the urgent need to reclaim waterways, restore drainage systems and protect lives and property before the next rainy season.
At Ayawaso Central, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Rudolf Collingwoode-Williams, disclosed that between 12,000 and 15,000 residents were affected by the June 29 floods, making the municipality one of the worst-hit areas in the region.
He said the coordinated efforts of the Ministries of Defence, Local Government, Works and Housing, Finance and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) helped evacuate victims, distribute relief items and prevent a possible cholera outbreak.
Mr Collingwoode-Williams, however, identified a damaged bridge near Paper House and abandoned vehicles blocking waterway buffers as major challenges requiring immediate attention.
He said the assembly would continue with public education and enforcement measures to reduce the impact of future floods.
At the Korle Lagoon, the Head of Waste Management at the AMA, Mr Solomon Noi, noted that the main storm drain feeding the lagoon had become heavily silted and required specialised amphibious excavators for effective desilting.
He explained that although one section of the channel had been cleared, another remained inaccessible because illegal structures occupied the required buffer area.
Mr Noi blamed indiscriminate dumping, waste carried by storm water and pollution from mechanics and scrap dealers for exacerbating the condition of the lagoon and affecting aquatic life.
At La Dade-Kotopon, the MCE, Mr Alfred Nii Anyetei, said the assembly had begun dredging and desilting major drains ahead of the peak rainy season.
He said work was ongoing along the Kordjor Stream to improve the flow of storm water into the Kpeshie Lagoon.
Concluding the tour, Ms Ocloo directed all metropolitan and municipal assemblies to sustain drainage maintenance, intensify sanitation enforcement and prevent further encroachment on waterways.
She stressed that engineering interventions alone could not solve Accra’s flooding challenges without public cooperation and strict adherence to planning regulations.
BY NELLY QUARCOOPOME
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