Give us the mandate to demolish structures on waterways – NADMO offers a solution to perennial flooding
During one of the conversations to see how the perennial flooding situation in the national capital, Accra can be addressed, one key organisation which can help resolve the situation the National Disaster Management Organisation, NADMO, has complained that its inability to demolish illegal structures along waterways is one of their major setbacks in resolving the perennial flood situation in the country.
NADMO now wants the needed empowerment through legal backing to enable it to do so if Ghana is bent on bringing an end to its perennial flooding situation.
Accra has been left submerged several times already following the onset of the rainy season and has seen several homes counting their losses after floodwaters destroyed several properties.
NADMO agrees with fact that the unfortunate situation is partly to blame on the unlawful structures dotted around every nook and cranny, and can only be resolved if it is given the mandate to properly check the unauthorized siting of these structures.
“Everything boils down to the assemblies. There are several illegal structures put up all over, but it is not the mandate of NADMO to demolish them. That is the problem we have,” says Abu Ramadan, NADMO’s Deputy Director-General.
During an interview on Accra-based Citi TV, Abu Ramadan suggested that the time is ripe for NADMO to be given the needed powers to pull down structures obstructing the free flow of water since local authorities have done too little in that respect.
“For us as a coordinating agency, there isn’t so much we can do. We can only advise or proffer solutions and facilitate. If the law has given us the power to move an excavator to go and demolish buildings, I believe we would have done that,” he noted.
Heavy rains, which started late Monday evening through Tuesday morning, submerged parts of the capital city.
Residents in hard-hit areas had to abandon their homes to seek shelter elsewhere because the floodwaters entered their rooms.
