Cape Coast, Feb. 02, GNA – Mr Frank Martey Korli, Central Regional Director of the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA) has condemned the development along the OLA-Elmina Highway beachfront.
The beautiful greenery of the area, particularly the evergreen grasses and coconut trees that had for years protected the beauty of the coastal stretch from erosion have been removed giving way to concrete projects.
According to Mr Korli, the development was counterproductive to the Government’s sea defense project aimed at protecting beaches and its environs against encroachment, environmental deterioration as well as mitigating the negative social and economic consequences of the beach erosion.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) over the disturbing trend, he noted with concern that the country’s beaches were increasingly becoming smaller for its fishermen due to other competing needs along the coast coupled with the rising levels of the sea.
He lamented that the tourism industry was gradually taking over and pushing the fishing communities out of business, a situation he said would have dire economic consequences on the nation if not checked.
“What they are doing has serious environmental, social effects capable of bringing chaos,” he warned and lamented that there was too much lawlessness with respect to land use in the country.
“If development is carried out at the reservations of the highway, and there is a scud or accident, the impact will be dire, the likely negative impact that it will have is very enormous,” he added.
Mr Korli alleged that the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly which was supposed to do the right thing was supporting such unscrupulous developers.
He however urged the CCMA not to politicize the issue, but work effectively in national interest to wipe out all forms of illegalities along that stretch.
GNA