World Bank to support Ghana with $100m for construction of drains, roads
Musah Yahaya Jafaru
The government is finalising negotiations with the World Bank for the release of $100 million for the construction of major drains in Accra to prevent flooding in the city.
The Head of Drainage, Hydrological Services Department, Mr Seth Kudzordzi, said the money was expected to be released this year for work to start.
He noted that the five-year project would involve the construction and expansion of roads in Madina, Haatso, Alajo, Nima, Kaneshie, Teshie, Kwame Nkrumah Interchange and other parts of the city.
Mr Kudzordzi made this known when members of the Works and Housing Committee of Parliament inspected some drains in flood-prone areas in Accra.
The visit was to ascertain the state of the drains and actions being taken by the city authorities to prevent or reduce flooding in Accra.
Areas visited included Nima, Odawna, North Kaneshie, Accra Academy and Sakaman.
Interim measures
Mr Kudzordzi said as an interim measure, the Hydrological Services Department and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) had started dredging some major drains in Accra to allow for easy flow of water in the upcoming rainy season.
He indicated that the dredging involved the removal of sand and broken concrete slabs.
Besides, Mr Kudzordzi said the two bodies were also expanding some drains to increase the flow of volumes of water.
The team witnessed the expansion work taking place at the Adabraka Odawna drain and the Accra Academy drain.
The Accra Metropolitan Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr Henry Nii Lante Plange, said the work was expected to mitigate the effects of floodingin the city.
Funds
The Chairman of the Works and Housing Committee of Parliament, Nana Amoakoh, stated that budgetary allocation for the Ministry of Works and Housing was not enough to fund the construction of drains in Accra.
Nana Amoakoh, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Upper Denkyira East, therefore, urged the government to release more funds to the ministry.
The Ranking Member on the Works and Housing Committee, Mr Sampson Ahi, accused the government of not taking the issue of flooding seriously.
He said contractors of drains in Accra had suspended work because the government had not released their money.
He called on the Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, to tour the flood-prone areas of Accra "to understand the problem."Writer's email: