The government has activated a comprehensive post-flood recovery and mitigation programme following the devastating floods that struck the Greater Accra Region and parts of the Volta and Central regions last Monday.
It includes a nationwide clean-up and recovery exercise, with a focus on restoring public safety, improving sanitation and preventing secondary disasters such as outbreaks of cholera, typhoid and other waterborne diseases.
Particular attention will be given to clearing refuse, silt, fallen trees, abandoned vehicles, collapsed structures and other debris obstructing roads, bridges, drains and watercourses.
President John Dramani Mahama, who conducted an aerial reconnaissance of the affected areas last week to obtain a first-hand assessment of the devastation, directed the activation of a National Post-Flood Mitigation Task Force to coordinate all recovery, relief and mitigation interventions.
The Director-General of Joint Operations at the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Brigadier General Forster Okae-Yeboah, who is spearheading the operational coordination of the post-flood mitigation efforts, announced the measures at a press briefing at the Jubilee House last Friday.
He said specialised sub-committees had been established to ensure an effective and coordinated response.
They include the Post-Flood Mitigation Committee, Early Warning Committee, Sanitation and Health Committee, Relief and Donations Committee, and Emergency Communications Committee.
President Mahama had earlier committed GH¢350 million to support emergency relief, recovery and flood-mitigation interventions, as the nation mobilises to restore normalcy and safeguard public health.
GAF to lead
Brig. Gen. Okae-Yeboah said the government had directed that the GAF lead the operational component of the mitigation effort, in collaboration with relevant agencies under the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs), Ghana Police Service, Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Health Service, Environmental Protection Agency, private sector organisations and other stakeholders.
The Ghana Armed Forces, Brig. Gen. Okae-Yeboah said, would deploy personnel, engineers and specialised equipment to clear major drains, streams, rivers and other critical watercourses.
Structures on watercourses
In accordance with applicable laws and directives of the appropriate civil authorities, structures illegally erected within watercourses or those that posed an immediate danger to public safety and flood mitigation efforts might be removed where necessary, he said.
The MMDAs have also been directed to organise and lead clean-up exercises within their respective jurisdictions in support of the national operation.
The government, Brig. Gen. Okae-Yeboah said, was particularly grateful to the numerous private sector organisations that had responded positively to the national appeal by voluntarily providing heavy equipment, technical expertise and logistics to support the exercise.
Equipment acquired under the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) is also being mobilised to augment ongoing operations across the affected areas.
The public has been advised that portions of some roads may experience temporary traffic diversions or restricted access while clean-up and engineering works are underway.
Residents are urged to fully cooperate with personnel on the ground and to comply with all traffic management and safety instructions issued by the security agencies.
Owners and occupiers of structures located on watercourses, drainage reservations and other environmentally sensitive areas are further urged to cooperate with the relevant authorities to facilitate the execution of this critical national assignment.
The government, Brig. Gen. Okae-Yeboah assured, remained committed to ensuring that all actions undertaken during the exercise were carried out professionally, humanely and in accordance with Ghana's laws.
Members of the public are encouraged to support the operation by keeping drains free from refuse and other obstructions, avoiding indiscriminate dumping of waste, reporting blocked drains, damaged bridges and dangerous structures to the appropriate authorities, observing public health advisories issued by the Ghana Health Service, and cooperating fully with officials conducting the exercise.
The government assured the public that the operation formed part of a broader national flood resilience strategy under implementation, aimed at improving drainage infrastructure, strengthening early warning systems, enforcing planning and environmental regulations, and enhancing emergency preparedness nationwide.
"The success of this exercise depends on the collective efforts of government, local authorities, the security services, the private sector, civil society organisations and every citizen," Brig. Gen. Okae-Yeboah
