In a statement made yesterday, Ghana President, John Mahama, set out flood prevention and disaster risk reduction plans in Accra, in the hope of avoiding a repeat of the deadly flood and fire disasters that hit the city earlier this week.
He said that the government has allocated GH¢50 million ($12 million) to cover relief and humanitarian operations, repair of damaged public infrastructure, and desilting and clearing of waterways.
Safe Shelters and Flood Alerts
Ghana Meteorological Agency have warned that more heavy rain is expected over the coming 2 weeks. In response to the threat of further floods, President Mahama announced that the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and Ghana Armed Forces will be providing emergency shelter zones to provide refuge for persons displaced.
The importance of providing safe shelter for those displaced was demonstrated by the fuel station explosion in Accra earlier this week, where over 70 people died and as many as 60 injured. Many of the victims were taking refuge from the torrential rain and floods when the explosion happened.
The President also announced that a National Call Centre has been activated and will be available for the public to call to report emergencies, provide information and send out alerts. The Ministry of Communications will be working with the various media houses to issue weather warnings, safety tips and promotion of the National Emergency Call Centre number, 112 and other emergency lines.
The Ministry of Health has activated the necessary structures and started work towards preventing any probable health outbreak, including cholera.
President Mahama urged all Ghanaians, especially those residents in flood-prone areas, to observe these warnings and safety tips to minimize casualties in event of future flooding.
The recent floods left hundreds trapped in traffic chaos, and also destroyed buildings and washed away cars. President Mahama confirmed that “many victims drowned in the resultant floods”, although no official figures have been given.
Flood Prevention Plans for Accra
The President also set out some plans for future flood prevention for Accra, in particular unblocking drainage systems and waterways.
The National Disaster Management Organisation, the Hydrology Department of the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing and the City Authorities will also work to coordinate the clearing and expansion of our waterways and the de-silting of drains.
President Mahama said that “Drastic steps are necessary here if we are to permanently address this perennial problem. We will intensify efforts to expand and modernize our drainage system.”
Fuel Station Explosion – Death Toll Rises to 150
The number of people now believed to have died in the explosion at the GOIL service station has reached over 150, with as many as 60 people injured.
Yesterday, a spokesman for Ghana’s national fire service said that the flooding had “caused the (stored) diesel and petrol to flow away from the gas station and a fire from a nearby house led to the explosion.”
In his official statement, the President said that many of the victims had been seeking shelter from the severe weather.
“A leakage from a GOIL service station located close to the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange caused an explosion that killed many people who had sought shelter there from the torrential downpour that had inundated the city. The inferno quickly spread and engulfed a nearby pharmacy and several properties adjoining the filling station claiming more casualties”.
Search and rescue operations will continue into the weekend. Ghana is set to observe 3 days of national mourning for the victims of the fire disaster and the flooding on Monday 08 June 2015.
Blame for the Floods
President Mahama said in is statement that the floods in Accra have been exacerbated by “uncontrolled human settlement” and “unbridled littering”.
He also acknowledged other factors in the cause of the floods. Three days of torrential rainfall, where parts of Accra saw 269.2 mm in 3 days, had saturated the ground. Accra’s location, in the flood plain of several rivers and streams that take their sources from the Akwapim Mountain Range, makes it susceptible to flooding.
“Ground saturation caused by the heavy downpour of the last 3 days, together with human activity such as unbridled littering and building in waterways has resulted in impeding the flow of these rivers and streams into the sea and thereby caused unprecedented flooding in several parts of the capital city”.
Blaming the irresponsible actions of some residents of Accra for the floods is not new. But many Ghanaians see it as a way for the government to shirk its responsibility. Kofi Asamoah-Siaw, columnist at GhanaWeb, points the finger the other way. Earlier today he wrote:
“There are many who would argue that some of the causes of the floods have got to do with irresponsible behaviors on the part of some citizens who throw garbage into the drains. Whilst we admit these things go on, we wish to put the blame squarely at the doorstep of government.
In fact government is responsible for the poor planning of the city, less drainage capacity, congestion in our markets, inability to collect and dispose garbage effectively, congested roads, wastage of our city funds for bill boards, poor supply of utility and poor housing. If government is not responsible for these then who is?”
PapJeff, Creative Commons
