What we envisaged to have been a brief rainfall this dawn, left us with a heavy impact in awe during daybreak.
As though, being drenched by the rainfall was not enough. My mini student mattress and other belongings I have worked hard for, were all carried away by the heavy downpour.
Looking round to ascertain the further menace it has caused, I saw my neighbour wailing helplessly as she has lost her three year old child to the rain.
We couldn’t help but pick the little pieces the rain had spared.
The situation always becomes tougher when ever rains submerge Accra. Most areas are often flooded, wreaking havoc to assets and endangering lives.
National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) was established in 1960 by an act of Parliament (Act 927) to manage disasters and emergencies.
However, the agency continues to make strides in controlling flooding.
Some institutions have conducted research in Accra and its enclave, to ascertain the the driving factors of the problem. Some writers have also opined on the topic, suggesting interventions but it still needs attention.
Heavy rainfall causes flooding, and is a natural phenomena. However, some human activities that are also determinants of flooding are poor drainage system, improper waste disposal and choked gutters.
What measures can the government and as we, the individuals put in place to combat flood crisis in the nation?
Some citizens have voiced their concerns on this matter
In an interview with Clovis Eugenia, a Public Relations student, she admonished the government to initiate policies to thwart individuals building and settling along water ways.
“The issue of flooding in Accra is one that needs to be looked at very carefully .
In as much as year in year out measures are put in place to reduce flooding, they seem not to help
And the fault I would say is from the Ghanaian citizenry.The first initiative is for the government to bring a policy that prevents people from building and living along water ways.
Although these residents suffer in the hands of floods every year, they do not move from those areas. If the government makes a law that urges and threatens people not to live in these area it would help make the water flow easily.
Again, residents, pedestrians, and travelers should avoid littering the streets. Along the streets, there are gutters at each side and these gutters are often blocked due to dirt accumulated from the road. If we all keep our refuse and dispose then off when we get to our homes, the gutters would not be choked as this prevents water accumulated on the road to move.
Adding on, the drainage systems in some parts of the city is in very bad shape as well as others being constructed too small to allow the flow water. There should be innovatives to construct more drains and help the flow of water collected from rain”.
Also, Emmanuel Aidoo, a student journalist also echoed the need for a check on our drainage features. “To tackle flooding in Accra, we should first of all check our drainage system. What we have is dissuading. The culvert on our major roads are not big enough to accommodate the flow of water with ease. If they are small, the water becomes excessive and that leads to an overflow causing flooding ”
Elizabeth Kube Tsisah, an entrepreneur, who also doubles as the Chief Executive Officer of AK beads, has expressed her view.
” We can surmount flooding in Accra by good designing of drain systems, adequate drainage infrastructure, constant checks on the few drainage infrastructures to ensure that it’s well kept”
Fedra Adutwumwaa, a geographer further opined “I think flooding in Accra can be tackled in so many ways.
Relocation of communities around the sea and also preventing individuals from building their homes or institutions around or close to the sea.
The writer’s recommendations are not different from what the citizenry have shared. Throwing more light, it is very important for government to initiate stern policies to regulate settlement at flood prone areas.
As citizens, awareness creation is pivotal in the prevention of flooding. Individuals who flout laws should be penalized. This would inculcate discipline in them and serve as a deterrent to others.
Flooding in Accra can be mitigated if individuals dispose waste at the appropriate venues, and government providing feasible solutions
Writer: Francisca Nanaba Amoako
Email: [email protected]
