80 families displaced by floods in Sekondi–Takoradi

At least 80 families in more than 40 houses were on Friday displaced by flood in the Sekondi–Takoradi Metropolis in the Western Region. This followed four hours of torrential rain recorded in the metropolis. The main Eshiem to Manso road was blocked by the flooding water denying vehicles access to the road for several hours. “Myself together with some passengers got stuck here because the driver said he will not be able to cross to the other end due to the water level. We have been here for more than an hour. No car has been able to cross”, a frustrated resident Kofi Adams said. More than five houses close to the Anankor River were all flooded leaving appliances and other personal effects running into thousands of cedis destroyed. “I have been staying here for more than 10 years and this is the first time I’ve ever seen anything like this before. You should have been here earlier to have seen the level of the water. I have lost everything”, an affected resident, Mary Okyere lamented to 3news.com. A former Unit Committee Member of the Essikadu Ketan Sub Metro of the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly Alhaji Ibrahim Zakaria who was also affected by the flood blamed the situation on a bridge constructed by a Chinese Ceramic company, Wang Kang. “During my time I informed the assembly through writing about the construction of the bridge and the possible effect if it is not constructed to the required specifications. My advice was not taken. Now look at all the properties lost. And so, I have resolved to destroy the bridge if nothing is done about it immediately”, he warned. Sekondi–Takoradi NADMO Coordinator, James Obeng corroborated the story of the affected residents insisting that the bridge was not constructed to the required specifications. “If you look at the other bridges upstream the channels beneath them are very wide so the running water is able to pass under without any effort. But if you look at what the Chinese did the channels are very small and cannot contain the volume of water coming from upstream and that has caused the flood. The only solution is for this bridge to be collapsed and reconstructed”, he proposed. Managment of the Chinese Ceramic company Wang Kang together with the Sekondi Takoradi Mayor Anthony KK Sam agreed for another channel to be opened to allow for more space for running water to flow. Before the team could move from Eshiem an earth moving machine was at the area to begin work. Ntankofor At Ntankoful, it was observed that the main drainage was choked with weeds and plastic waste. About five houses close to the drainage were all flooded leaving several properties destroyed. Affected residents said they were not able to leave their house on Saturday. Adakope The story was no different when the Sekondi–Takoradi Mayor Anthony KK Sam and his team visited the Adakope Community on Sunday. More than 15 houses together with the Church of Christ building there were all flooded. The flood water had still not receded preventing affected residents from assessing their rooms when the team got there. Due to the flood the Church of Christ could not have their Sunday service. “My brother, flooding at Adakope is nothing new. Every year this happens. Officials from the assembly will come around and we will see no concrete action taken after. I’m tell you that you will come back to this spot once it rains heavily to this same spectacle. What we need is a pragmatic solution and we are pleading with government to help us,” Aku Sika an affected resident. The main storm drain channeling waste water from Takoradi into the Sea passes in front of the Adakope Community. The drain is heavily filled with plastic, industrial waste and mud. Pillars of the main bridge that leads to the community have accumulated tons of plastic waste which is preventing free flow of waste water. An earth moving machine brought by the Western Region Urban Roads Office to desilt the drain have been stuck in the drain for the past four months thereby stalling the exercise. Residents along the drain mounted a strong defense that the plastic waste is not their making. They claimed that waste from the Central Business District of Takoradi and from the Takoradi Light Industrial Area (Kokompe) is to blame. Mayor Anthony KK Sam expressed worry over how residents in the Sekondi–Takoradi treat drains in the metropolis. According to him, even though the assembly keeps arresting recalcitrant residents, the problem of dumping waste into drains still persists. “These plastic bottles and sachet rubbers cannot come from anywhere but from houses along the drain. Our environmental officers have effected numerous arrests. Offenders have been made to pay, sometimes, heavy fines but still the problem persists. These same people will turn around and insult everyone when their houses flood. If we don’t change our attitude the problem will persists.” Meanwhile, Sekondi–Takoradi NADMO Coordinator James Obeng told 3news.com that a proper inventory of the level of destruction and the number of affected residents will be carried out on Monday for his office to know the kind of intervention it can offer. By Eric Yaw Adjei | 3news.com | Ghana]]>