By Evans Worlanyo Ameamu, GNA
Keta (V/R), July 1, GNA-Mr James Gunu, the Volta Regional Minister, has toured some flood-affected communities across the Anloga District and the Keta Municipality to assess the devastating impact of recent floods on lives, homes, infrastructure, and livelihoods of residents in the affected areas.
The tour, which took the Minister and his team across several hard-hit communities, was conducted together with the Volta Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr Pascal Agbagba, and Mr Wisdom Seade and Madam Sendra Seyram Kpedor, the Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) of the Keta and Anloga respectively.
Mr Gunu, during the tour said his team visited areas such Sogakope, Dabala Junction, Agbogblah, Atito, Fiaxor, and the lagoon receiving point in Keta, where they witnessed firsthand scale of destruction wrought by the floods on communities that were already among the most vulnerable to seasonal inundation in the Volta Region.
“At each stop, myself and my team interacted directly with affected residents, we listened to their accounts of loss and displacement and assessed the condition of homes, schools, roads, and farmlands that had been submerged or damaged by the rising floodwaters,” he said.
Mr Gunu expressed profound sympathy for every family that had suffered loss or displacement during the flood disaster, describing the scenes he witnessed across the visited communities as deeply troubling and a clear call to action for all levels of government.
He assured all affected residents that the government remained firmly committed to supporting them as relief efforts continue to be coordinated across the affected districts and urged victims to remain calm and hopeful as interventions are rolled out.
“I commended NADMO, the security services, health workers, local authorities, and community volunteers for their swift response and dedication in the face of this disaster, their efforts had been critical in preventing what could have been an even greater loss of lives and property.”
Mr Gunu described the floods as an unfortunate but urgent reminder of the need to protect the environment, rigorously enforce physical planning regulations, and prevent any further development on waterways and flood plains that continue to worsen the impact of seasonal flooding on coastal communities.
He stressed the critical importance of investing in resilient drainage infrastructure across the Volta Region and warned that without sustained investment in flood mitigation infrastructure, communities along the coast and lagoon basin would continue to face recurring devastation every rainy season.
The Minister acknowledged the reality of climate change and its increasingly severe effects on communities in the Volta Region, and called on residents, local authorities, and all stakeholders to play their respective roles in safeguarding communities against the worsening impacts of extreme weather events.
Mr Gunu reiterated the government’s determination to work with all relevant agencies and local authorities to build a safer, stronger, and more resilient Volta Region, emphasising that the response to the current floods must go beyond immediate relief to include long-term structural and environmental solutions.
He called for unity and collective resolve among residents and all stakeholders, while expressing confidence that with coordinated effort and shared commitment, the affected communities would overcome the current challenge and emerge stronger in the face of future climate-related disasters.
GNA
Edited by: Maxwell Awumah/Kenneth Odeng Adade