Ghana will need $700m to solve Accra flooding - Minister

Europa

February 27, 2017 4:19 PM

Mr Atta-Akyea made this known when he visited some flood affected areas on Monday following Sunday’s downpour.

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It will cost Ghana over $700 million to effectively and permanently deal with the perennial flooding in the Greater Accra Region alone, the Minister of Works and Housing, Samuel Atta Akyea, has said.

He made this known when he visited some flood affected areas on Monday, February 28, 2017 following Sunday’s downpour.

The heavy rains affected areas such as Asylum Down, Avenor, Alajo and the Kwame Nkrumah interchange.

Speaking to journalist after the tour, Mr. Atta Akyea said the focus of the government is to find the funds to address the perennial flooding in the city.

“My only new approach will be finding money. The engineering sense won’t change. We are not going to reinvent the wheel. The engineers have put together the solution. All we need to do as a solution is to get the cash. If you have the money, the engineers will just roll out the plans and they will start working and you won’t see this again.”

“From here, we are going to ensure that we do what will meet the emergency situations. The de-silting of drains is going to be carried out. Tentatively, I am seeing something in the neighbourhood of $700 million to fix what is in this area alone… this is what stares at us in the face every year, but we will find the money and do it,” he said.

Mr. Atta Akyea further explained that the dredging in critical areas would provide “a quick fix to ensure there is the free flow into the lagoon and eventually into the sea.”

The Odaw River once again overflowed its banks during Sunday’s heavy downpour.

Many felt that the 74 million euros spent on the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange project would alleviate the problem. However, pedestrians who were around the interchange on Sunday were not spared from the floods.

Europa