A significant desilting operation on the Okai Kwei Road storm drain in Kantamanto has been started by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) in cooperation with The Or Foundation and the Kantamanto Obroni Wawu Business Association (KOBA) in order to alleviate ongoing floods and enhance local cleanliness.
The practice, which started over the weekend and is still going on, is a part of a larger initiative to improve urban resilience in one of Accra’s biggest business districts.
In order to remove accumulated garbage, about 154 waste workers from Tide Turners and the June 4 Task Force were deployed for the operation. They entered the subterranean drain system through recently constructed access points.
At the beginning of the exercise, the team removed a significant amount of plastic, silt, and textile trash by clearing about 400 meters of the badly silted drain over the course of 12 hours. As work proceeds, an estimated 120 tonnes more are anticipated to be removed, with 60 tonnes already cleaned.
Even after brief rainstorm events, the storm drain, which runs from Tema Station along Okai Kwei Road to the June 4 Market and into the Korle Lagoon, has reportedly not been desilted since it was built, causing serious blockages and recurrent floods.
Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, the mayor of Accra, stressed to the media that the AMA would keep working with partners to enhance cleanliness, fortify drainage systems, and create a more resilient and flood-resistant city.
Engineer Solomon Noi, Head of Waste Management at the AMA, clarified that the drain’s enclosed design, which had few access points at first, had made maintenance challenging over time.
In order to increase water flow and lessen flooding in the area, Engineer Noi explained that portions of the concrete covering were being damaged to create additional entrance points for personnel to manually access and clear the drains.
He expressed hope that the exercise will significantly lessen the effects of rainfall in the Kantamanto market, protecting people’s lives, property, and means of subsistence.
He highlighted that although protecting the city from flood hazards was the AMA’s first concern, the relationship with the Or Foundation also supported initiatives to preserve traders’ economic operations, especially those engaged in the second-hand clothes sector.
Mr David Akpablie, the Foundation’s Environmental Field Operations Lead, clarified that the clogged drain had played a significant role in the local floods and emphasised that the ongoing desilting will assist lessen the problem and enhance the market’s hygienic conditions.
The leaders of the June 4 Task Force, which is composed of traders, locals, and community leaders, also reiterated their dedication to upholding hygiene within the market area, pointing out that the organization has been actively involved in cleanup activities.
In a same vein, Mr. Adokwei Brown, President of Tide Turners, emphasised the need for people to stop throwing trash down drains, cautioning that doing so greatly contributes to flooding and environmental deterioration.
Source: newsthemegh.com