Odaw River to be dredged before raining season -Atta Akyea

The Works and Housing Minister Samuel Atta Akyea says the Odaw River will be dredged before the raining season begins in June.

Addressing parliamentarians on April 11, 2019, Atta Akyea stated that measures are in place to dredge the Odaw river before the rainy season begins

''Evacuation will be done to create channels in areas where channels are undefined and dredging and desilting of silted channels. works have commenced and ongoing on some of the drains whiles others, the contractors are mobilizing to commence work. With regards to the Odaw river which has been causing perennial flooding in parts of Accra, channel improvement work has begun in some been done on some sections of the channels these areas include Agbogba, Achimota, Legon, and Pantang. Other areas to be desilted include Haatso, Kwabenya, Oyarifa''.

''Some of the main tributaries of the Odaw River are also to be desilted. Meanwhile, the Ministry has released the contract to Dredge Masters for two years. Dredge masters will dredge the lower section of the Odaw River and properly dispose of the dredge materials to prevent it from been washed back into the channel. The lower section of the Odaw channel is the critical part of the Odaw river work will commence immediately to clean the channel ahead of the 2019 rains,he added''.

Within the past decades, flooding has become a global issue, which hampers economic and social development. This phenomenon led to the loss of lives and destruction of properties in Ghana. On June 3, 2015, Accra, Ghana's capital experienced a remarkable flood event, coupled with an explosion at a Goil filling station that resulted in the death of over 152 persons.

It is, therefore, necessary to consider suitable measures that can be taken to mitigate flood impacts in Accra, explore new ideas and approaches that can be incorporated into existing structures to manage this problem.

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• Accra: Causes and effects of perennial floods

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