Victims of Keta tidal waves are building at the same spot – NADMO
Some residents whose homes were demolished by tidal surges in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region are reconstructing their structures at the same place, according to the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO).
In the recent tidal waves that devastated the coastal communities of the Volta Region, around 2,000 people were relocated from the Keta Municipality alone. Thousands of people were displaced in the areas of Ketu South, Keta, and Anlo.
Godknows Bleboo, the Keta Municipal NADMO Director, cited by 3news.com on Wednesday, November 8, 2021, revealed that although they are afraid of the bouncing back of the tidal waves, many of the affected residents are reconstructing their homes in the affected areas.
“They are still exposed to the tidal waves but many have reconstructed their homes and they are back at the same places because there is no other land that they can go and rebuild”.
Mr. Bleboo added that “Keta is between the sea and the Lagoon. The lagoon is also getting full and the sea is also getting full and the town is in between the two”.
“They have no choice and NADMO don’t have any land to give to the people for them to go and rebuild. Many of them are fisherfolks. They must go to the sea so if we put them in the forest, who will feed them. The only solution is sea defence.”
Meanwhile, the government has revealed it is working to determine what is causing the tidal waves in Keta and other parts of the country’s coast.
“In respect of the unfortunate tidal waves that rendered about 3,000 people homeless in Keta, we shall make the necessary budgetary allocations of at least GHS10 million to complete the Feasibility and Engineering studies for the coastal communities adversely affected,” Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta said at a press conference in Accra on Monday, December 6, when announcing changes to the 2022 budget statement.
“We will broaden the scope of the study to consider a more comprehensive solution to protect Ghana’s 540km of coastline, including the 149 Km between Aflao and Prampram. Meanwhile, NADMO has responded to the humanitarian crisis created by the tidal waves on the Keta coastline.”
Source: Richard Mensah Adonu | Join our Telegram Group
