By Opesika Tetteh Puplampu, GNA
Kasseh, April 01, GNA – The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in Ada has attributed the recent flooding in parts of the district to human activities, particularly the obstruction of waterways and poor waste-disposal practices.Â
The attribution follows recent downpours that submerged several households across communities in the Ada East District.
Mr Moses Jumpah, Ada East District Director of NADMO, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Kasseh said the organisation had identified several flood-prone areas where human actions had worsened the situation.
Mr Jumpah noted that some residents deliberately blocked drains and waterways, preventing the free flow of water during rainfall.
“Some residents intentionally block waterways and gutters for reasons best known to them, and this is contributing significantly to the flooding we are experiencing,” he said.
He added that some individuals had also constructed buildings on waterways and approved layouts, further aggravating the flooding problem.
He expressed concern that some community members often conceal such challenges and raised concerns when the situation escalates.
“People sometimes hide these problems to protect one another, but when the situation gets out of hand, they begin to seek help,” he stated.
The NADMO District Director disclosed that the organisation was facing logistical constraints, particularly a lack of adequate vehicles and other resources, which was affecting its operations.
Despite these challenges, he said the Ada East District Assembly, in collaboration with NADMO, had begun interventions in identified areas to mitigate future flooding.
He warned residents to be circumspect of activities that would expose them to flooding, as the rains have started.
He stressed that such practices were detrimental to community development and urged residents to desist from activities that obstruct drainage systems.
Some residents also expressed concern about the situation, noting that attempts to address such practices often lead to tensions within communities.
A resident, who gave her name as Evelyn, told the GNA that some individuals blocked waterways with cement blocks to protect their properties, causing water to flood neighbouring homes.
“There is a man in our area who blocked the waterway because he did not want water to affect his fence. Now whenever it rains, the water enters our homes and remains there for days,” she said.
The GNA observed that gutters in parts of Kasseh, Big Ada and surrounding communities had been choked with coconut husks, plastic waste, and other debris, further worsening the flooding situation.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo/Linda Asante Agyei