Govt outlines aggressive anti-flood measures as devastating rains submerge Accra and Tema
The government has launched an aggressive, multi-agency emergency response to combat widespread flooding across Accra, Tema, and surrounding areas following days of relentless, heavy downpours.
The Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, issued an immediate press release following an assessment tour of the hardest-hit zones, which was led by President John Dramani Mahama and members of the Anti-Flood Task Force. The inspection aimed to evaluate structural damage and validate immediate remedial solutions as sustained torrential rains submerged homes, crippled local businesses, and fractured public infrastructure, completely disrupting social and economic activities, particularly within low-lying communities.
While acknowledging that intensifying climate variability and extreme weather patterns are fuelling the crisis, the Ministry directly blamed human lawlessness for amplifying the destruction. The state highlighted rapid urbanisation, rampant encroachment on vital waterways, indiscriminate waste disposal, and a flagrant disregard for planning regulations as the primary drivers of the structural failures that have turned natural waterways into conduits of devastation.
In a bid to restore order, the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, alongside various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), has executed extensive enforcement operations focused on the immediate demolition and removal of illegal structures and obstructions choking drainage channels, wetlands, and natural water retention areas. The Ministry vowed that these enforcement efforts will be heavily intensified and sustained to protect the environment and prevent future obstructions.
To manage the current emergency, a massive coalition consisting of the Ghana Hydrological Authority, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), security services, and local assemblies has deployed emergency response and evacuation teams. Displaced residents are currently being provided with relief items as technical teams assess broken infrastructure and work toward restoring essential services.
Moving forward, the government has detailed a comprehensive engineering and infrastructure strategy that includes:
- Massive desilting operations: Immediate excavation and desilting of major drainage channels that have become severely obstructed by silt and debris.
- New drainage networks: The urgent construction of new drainage channels aligned with natural water pathways to drastically improve stormwater runoff and reduce flood risk.
- Long-term resilience: The expansion and rehabilitation of national drainage infrastructure, strict enforcement of development controls within floodplains, the restoration of degraded lagoons and wetlands, and the strengthening of early warning systems to provide timely alerts to vulnerable communities.
These efforts build upon recent actions by the Ghana Revenue Authority to protect businesses amid the flooding and the Electricity Company of Ghana to begin phased power restoration to Accra after flood shutdowns at key substations, illustrating a coordinated approach to mitigating the multifaceted impact of the disaster.
With the rains persisting, the Ministry is strongly urging residents—especially those in low-lying areas and near rivers or drains—to strictly adhere to flood safety protocols. Citizens must move to higher ground when necessary, strictly avoid walking or driving through floodwaters, and keep children away from flooded zones to prevent tragic accidents and exposure to waterborne diseases.
The release concluded with a powerful appeal for national discipline, demanding that citizens stop dumping waste into drains and halt all unauthorized construction on waterways to safeguard lives and build resilient communities capable of withstanding the increasing threats posed by climate change.
Image Source: MYJOYONLINE
