Takoradi, Nov. 02, GNA – Traders at the temporary market places provided by the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) following the redevelopment of the Takoradi Market circle have expressed worry over the perennial flooding of the markets, destroying their wares.
The traders, especially those around the two main boundary roads from the Ahenfie Hotel towards the Port Quarters and the one that leads to the Paa Grant Roundabout from the NIB traffic light and close to the First Baptist Church and surroundings were the worst affected.
The traders, therefore, appealed to the city authorities to ensure that urgent measures were put in place to curtail the situation, which sometimes led to financial losses.
According to them, the area often flooded even with the slightest rain which leads to damages of the wares, adding, the flood destroyed their shops, properties leaving many stranded.
Some of the traders also lamented on selling at the market under the scorching sun, and sometimes being vulnerable to rainfall, which at times comes with catastrophic effects.
Many of the affected traders who spoke to the Ghana News Agency in an interview attributed the flood menace to the smaller size of drains which could not contain the volumes of water that passed the area, broken and choked drains which made it difficult for the water to flow freely causing it to divert to other parts of the area.
For his part, Mr John Laste, Public Relations Officer of the STMA admitted that the flooding challenge and attributed it to uncontrolled human activities as some of the traders have positioned their structures at points that blocked the free flow of the water, while others also throw refuse into the drains blocking the water ways whenever it rained.
He gave the assurance that everything would be done to fix the problem.
GNA