Tema, May 24, GNA – Residents of Abrewankor popularly known as water-land in Tema Newtown on Monday said the sight of clouds frightens them as they dread the effect of a downpour on their habitat.
Water land is a suburb of Ziginshor, a fish smoking community, which forms part of the catchment area of the Chemu lagoon.
The Ghana News Agency-Tema Regional Office has embarked on a project dubbed, “tracking of development projects” in Districts as part of efforts to enhance accountability and deepen grassroots participation in local government.
The project seeks to improve policy management and decision-making system in the districts. As part of the tracking of development projects, the GNA-Tema visited the community and noticed that the place was filled with refuse and to get access residents, both old, and young had to take calculated steps in the marshy place to avoid plunging in.
The densely populated water land area can be said to be replica of Nzulezu in the Western Region as most of the makeshift structures for residents were built on stilt with the only difference being the filthy, miry and algae ground of the place.
The GNA learnt that Abrewankor which is in the Homowo Electoral used to be the ramsar for the Chemu when the natives of Tema were relocated to Tema Manhean.
As the town expanded and people started using there to dry their fish, sprawling activities took over and people started residing there leading to the insanitary conditions and flooding of the area whenever it rained.
Madam Diana Boernor, a resident told GNA that they lived in constant fear as the rain approached as whenever it rained the place became flooded saying that the situation was getting worse now as even slight drizzles deprived them of their rooms.
Madam Boernor lamented that “now the Valco bridge side has been completely blocked by the company building a cold store so even when it drizzles it turns into flood and enters our rooms.
“As soon as we notice the change of weather, we have to vacate the area before the rains fall,” adding that after the rains they wait for about two days before going back to count their lost.
She said it was unfortunate that no authority was ready to help solve their plights as according to her “when it’s time to vote, they come around but after that we don’t hear or see them again”.
Madam Mary Oshiagmor, a resident and fishmonger said she had been residing at the place for about 17 years and had to go through an annual cycle of battling with flood as the water carried their belongings away while depositing filth into their rooms.
Madam Fausitna Dogbada, a fish monger who work there said whenever it rained, the water carried their fish away, a situation she described as worrying and called on authorities to help solve the annual perennial flooding as residents and fish mongers had suffered for long.
GNA