By Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Kwesimintsim(WR), June 17, GNA – The Deputy Minister for Works and Housing and Member of Parliament for Kwesimintsim in the Western Region, Dr. Prince Hamid Armah, has assured constituents that construction works on storm drains at different locations to address the perennial flooding in the Constituency would soon be completed.
Some residents in the area have always had to vacate their homes and businesses whenever there was a downpour due to the accompanying floods .
The situation had persisted for many years with authorities attributing it to the low-lying nature of the Constituency.
In areas like Apollo-Dupaul, Anaji Fie, Anaji Choice Mart, Kwesimintsim Fie, IAdu, and among others had been flood prone for a longer while and authorities, including the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal assembly, had not been spared the bash for proper drainage systems and gutters to save lives and properties.
Dr. Armah, who was on an official tour to ensure these challenges were fixed in the constituency, met with some residents, Associations, Chiefs, and Opinion leaders and assured them of measures being undertaken to ensure that the perennial floods became history.
He said some storm drains were already in various stages of completion, while others were currently being considered.
“We shall immediately construct a 600-meter long drain at Apollo- Dupaul to deal with the flooding situation, causing troubles in the homes of people. We have another flooding problem at Kwesimintsim Fie, residents are unable to sleep whenever there is a heavy downpour. 700 meters storm drain will be constructed for the people to solve that problem.”
“At I-Adu, contractors are already on site working to fix an 800-meter-long storm drain, we are hoping it will be completed as scheduled. There is a problem at Anaji Fie as well as many other places. We are not sleeping over them. I’m assuring the people of Kwesimistim that very soon all these flooding problems will be over,” he indicated.
The Deputy Minister later inspected the progress of works on sea defence projects being undertaken in Ghana’s western Coastal lines by the Ministry’s implementing agency, Ghana Hydrological Authority.
He visited project sites in Dixcove, Axim, and Aboadze, all in the Western Region.
These projects are being constructed to ensure that over 30 percent of Ghana’s population living along the coast are protected from sea erosion and its devastating effects.
“Three of the coastal line projects (Dansoman, Anomabo, Komeda) are almost complete and the President will soon commission them. We have also completed a fishing harbour at Axim. We are urging the electorate to have confidence in the Akuffo Addo-Bawumia Government.”
“We have a 550 km coastal line and there are hotspots that need urgent attention to avoid the sea eroding communities. We have completed about 80km of the coastal line projects and we still have 270km more to do.
Phase two of the Dansoman Project will soon begin and 1.2km will be added to the Axim project to avoid any future disasters to the community and fisher folks,” he added.
The Deputy Minister was accompanied by engineers from the Works and Housing Ministry and the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly.
GNA