The minister of works and housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has emphasized that efforts by the government to stop persistent flooding around the nation will be ineffective if people keep erecting buildings in prohibited locations.
The ministry maintains that government is working assiduously to ensure that adequate drains are constructed to prevent flooding when it rains.
In a media interview, the sector minister called on the public to desist from building on waterways.
“We recognise the need to improve drainage infrastructure in many other communities across the country, which is a subject of an ongoing engagement with the Ministry of Finance. Notwithstanding these efforts by the government, human activities undermine the impact of government’s investment to mitigate flood risk. We need citizens to support government’s efforts by respecting rules and regulations, government’s settlements planning and avoiding building on waterways and drainage,” Asenso-Boakye urged.
The Ministry of Works and Housing further disclosed that, as part of strategies to tackle flooding in vulnerable communities, the government is collaborating with the World Bank to invest $200 million through the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development Project (GARID).