Rain, rain go away; Accra simply not ready
Frankly, anytime it threatens to rain, particularly in the capital city of Accra, our hearts never cease to beat unbearably. This is because of the fear of the unknown.
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The capital city is always overwhelmed and simply not ready for the rain, be it small or heavy.
I remember as a young reporter in the early 1990s when I had to cover former President Jerry John Rawlings during the inspection of floods at Sahara at Adabraka in Accra and the Odaw River around the Circle area, we had to wade through the floods at knee level to do the inspection and it was only when it was getting life-threatening that the former President had to do the rest by dinghy.
I got back to the office in a soaked dirty white attire and worn-out shoes to write my observation for publication. Since then, I have always been on the lookout for the city’s preparedness towards the rainy season year after year and whether, as a nation, we have made any progress by way of containing the perennial floods.
Harrowing experience
An office colleague’s harrowing experience while driving to the house from the Graphic Office at Adabraka to Kasoa in the Central Region, during the flood on June 3, 2015 that claimed about 200 lives in the capital, comes quickly to mind. He started his journey around 6p.m. but got home at 3:30a.m. the next day. This was after he had waded through the floods from the Accra Academy School all the way to the Mallam Junction, where he managed to pick a “trotro” to, eventually, reach his destination at New Aplaku. A distance which, ordinarily, should have taken him less then 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, another colleague, whose wife was oblivious of what was happening that fateful evening, had to confront the husband for getting home late around 12 midnight. Even though the husband was drenched in water, the wife would not believe his story and it was only when she heard of the arrival of another colleague at 3:30a.m. that she laid the matter to rest.
Many years down the line, it is with much disbelief that we have not made any meaningful effort to find lasting remedies to the flood situation in Accra. No wonder there is always a sense of fear among the people any time it threatens to rain.
Naturally, we expect the rains to come, but like the proverbial vulture, we keep on postponing what needs to be done to avert floods or minimise its impact on society. We keep going round in circles trying to find a permanent solution to this perennial problem. It, therefore, goes without saying that we are not proactive but only reactive to disasters.
Without mincing words, it has taken too long to redesign and build effective storm drains. We are still constructing open drains instead of covered drains. We do not have effective waste management policies and enforcement of bye-laws is non-existent or at best weak. We keep hearing of World Bank projects aimed at helping to solve the perennial problem of flooding in the city, but regrettably, nothing concrete is done or achieved at the end of the day. No wonder, some areas within the Accra-Tema Metropolis, including the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, North Kaneshie, Awoshie, Darkuman, Dansoman, Santa Maria, Kokompe, Communities 18 and 20 continue to experience flooding anytime it rains.
When the nation was confronted with the June 3, 2015 twin disaster, steps were taken by the authorities to remove structures dotted along river banks. In the Accra, in particular, led by Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), structures found at Agbogbloshie and other parts of the city were demolished to make way for the free flow of storm water. Today, the demolished structures are coming back in full force while state authorities look on helplessly.
NADMO is ready
Interestingly, the NADMO has said it is ready for the rains and committed to performing its duties though under many challenges.
However, it must be pointed out to NADMO that waiting for the rains to come with its attendant flooding and then go round to distribute relief items such as blankets and mattresses to mitigate the suffering of displaced persons cannot be equated to a state of readiness.
The rains have started in earnest. This, it has signalled with few downpours, and each time it rained, it is obvious we ain’t ready for its consequences.
Way forward
Immediately, there must be a deliberate, planned and sustained year-long activity by NADMO and the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to carry out adequate sensitisation programmes in flood-prone areas of the city to educate the people on what to do to avoid floods and what to do during floods.
Effective adequate preparations need to be implemented not only to manage but to prevent disasters during the rainy season.
As a national policy, we must also avoid the construction of open drains, as part of efforts to curb the menace of people using them as refuse dumps; resulting in choked drains, which hinder the free flow of water, especially during rainfall.
Disaster management is everybody’s responsibility, but clearly, where there is a heavy population concentration in an unplanned area, it becomes very difficult to manage and control human activity and attitudes.
All kinds of waste are generated daily and there is continuous dumping of refuse into open drains which goes a long way to compound the flood situation in the country.
As a result, our drains are always choked with filth, streets are littered and there is the prevalence of general lawlessness. The truth of the matter is that, if we continue to fail in the enforcement of the bye laws, then the effective management of the city including clearing the storm drains to facilitate the smooth flow of rain waters, will remain elusive. The laws must be implemented to prevent people from building in waterways.
Accra cleanest city
Thankfully, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has pledged his commitment to make Accra the cleanest city on the African continent within the next four years.
Addressing the Ngleshie Alata Traditional Council, when he was enstooled as a Chief at Jamestown, in Accra on Sunday, President Akufo-Addo declared, “the commitment I want to make, and for all of us to make, is that by the end of my term in office, Accra will be the cleanest city on the entire African continent. That is the commitment I am making.”
Undoubtedly, transforming the capital city to become Africa’s cleanest city is an attainable task but could be a mirage if we fail to change attitudes. Discipline among all ranks and the strict enforcement of laws cannot be taken lightly.
Accra, the nation’s economic and political capital is saddled with indiscriminate disposal of waste and open defecation. The situation becomes worse any time it rains. There is no option but to support the President’s plan to rid the city of filth and ensure the proper and effective management of waste in the capital.
Lip service will not make Accra to become the cleanest city in Africa but rather hard work and purposeful planning so that progressively we can attain the height set for us by the President.