The construction of crucial drainage systems aimed at facilitating water flow and averting floods at Wassa Simpa within the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality has been at a standstill since 2020.
The repercussions of this incomplete initiative are impacting the inhabitants of the area.
Originally intended to ensure efficient drainage and redirect water, these gutters now stand unfinished, presenting open gaps that pose significant risks to the community.
In the absence of proper covering, residents have resorted to placing wooden planks over these openings to ensure safe passage.
Rather than utilizing the existing drainage route during construction, a new path was chosen, disrupting the natural water flow in the locality.
Consequently, this alteration has resulted in water pooling and flooding on streets and properties.
The residents voice their apprehensions, especially during the rainy season. The exposed gutters are perceived as potential accident sites, and incidents of slips and falls have become all too common, causing distress among community members.
B. Baker, a flood victim, shared how the continuous water influx from neighboring areas adversely affects his shop. His business establishment consistently grapples with challenges due to the water influx.
Speaking to the local Assembly member, Wilberforce Essien, it was revealed that the incomplete project has exacerbated the flooding predicament in the area.
He said: “the construction of the gutter started in 2020, but because the Covid set in, the project was halted. We were all waiting for the continuation of the project, but after the election, nothing went on again”.
“Politics has crept into the project such that when you begin to talk too much about it, you are tagged, so for me, I have stopped talking about it”,
Essien further mentioned that the project was initiated by the Member of Parliament, George Mireku Duker, and expressed hope that it would resume in 2024.