The Minister of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye yesterday lower sod to start a US$200 million World Bank funded venture aimed to curb flooding in communities alongside the Odaw river basin.
The first part of the venture entails the event of primary and secondary drains, entry roads, strong waste administration amenities, and extension of safety lights, and water provide networks at Alogboshie within the Okaikwei North Municipality.
Mr Asenso-Boakye digging the bottom to herald the graduation of the venture
Similar infrastructure might be developed within the coming weeks at Akweteyman and Nima, the staying two beneficiary flood-prone low-income settlements underneath the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) venture.
Mr Asenso-Boakye mentioned in advertdition to enhancing public service provision locally, the venture was anticipated to drastically scale back the perennial flooding challenges in Alogboshie and function a pathway to progress.
He mentioned the tasks was a testament to the federal government’s commitment to enhancing entry to fundamental social infrastructure, bettering public service provision and reducing the vulnerability of precedence low-income communities throughout the Greater Accra Region to flooding and different pure disasters.
He famous that the GARID project was making good strides with the continued resettlement of venture affected individuals previous the construction of the storm drains from Nima-Paloma space by means of Asylum Down to the Odaw River channel, in addition to the restore of the damaged sections of the Odaw channel at Abofu, spanning the part from the Achimota Overhead Bridge to the N1 Overhead Bridge.
Similarly, he acknowledged that, resettlement of project-affected individuals by the proposed reconstruction of Kaneshie storm drains would commence in January following which works would proceed.
Mr Asenso-Boakye famous that the Ministry was collaborating with the Ghana Hydrological Authority, the Water Resources Commission, the Ghana Meteorological Agency, and NADMO to determine a Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) for the Greater Accra Region.
He added that regardless of important investments within the National Flood Control and Priority Drainage Programmes, the federal government’s efforts have been being undermined by the inappropriate habits of residents of Accra, together with constructing in waterways, indiscriminate dumping of strong waste that finds its approach into drains, and insufficient maintainable of current drains.
“The implementation of the GARID project’s interventions, and all other flood mitigation measures, will not succeed if such behaviour and underlying attitudes do not change,” he mentioned.
Madhu Raghunath, Manager for Urban, Resilience and Land Global Practice, World Bank, mentioned the project would assist to scale back flood threat, and make sure the realisation of city construct resilience.
The Coordinator of GARID venture, Dr Kwadwo Ohene Sarfoh, mentioned a contractor had been secured and was ready to maneuver to web site.
The Chief of Alogboshie, Emmanuel Nii Kuma urged the residents to assist the contractor undertake the venture in a well timed method.
He mentioned the standard authority was open to all engagements that may ends in the completion of the venture.
“Let’s all support the project. We should disrupt the contractor with actions and activities will impede the implementation of the project,” he acknowledged
BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS