The Flood Mitigation Task Force has begun a phased dredging, desilting and demolition exercise at several flood-prone locations across Accra as part of efforts to restore waterways and reduce the risk of flooding.
Led by the Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations), Stan Xoese Dogbe, and the Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, the exercise is being coordinated by Brigadier General Forster Okae-Yeboah. The task force has commenced the removal of structures built on waterways and drainage channels, the demolition of poorly engineered bridges that obstruct water flow, and the dredging of silted dams and drains.
The team, accompanied by the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Army Headquarters, Major General Annan Glover, and the Commander of the Engineer Brigade, Brigadier General Richard Kinney, began operations at New England, behind Airport Hills and Mayfair Gardens Estates, before moving to the Tesa Dam in East Legon and Oyarifa.
At the Tesa Dam, located off Boundary Road in East Legon, the task force demolished structures erected along the banks of the dam after encroachment significantly narrowed the natural waterway.
Developers had constructed illegal retaining walls and other unauthorised structures, while indiscriminate dumping of plastic waste and the activities of squatters living around the dam caused severe siltation of the reservoir and its drainage channels, reducing its capacity and increasing the area’s vulnerability to flooding.
Before the demolition began, the Commanding Officer of the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Osei Amponsah, addressed residents affected by the exercise. He explained that the operation was intended to restore the waterway and mitigate flooding, urging residents to cooperate with the task force. Occupants were given time to remove their belongings before demolition commenced.
Following the demolition, dredging of the Tesa Dam began immediately. The operation involves removing heavy silt deposits to restore the dam’s storage capacity and improve the free flow of water, thereby reducing flood risks along the Motorway, East Legon and surrounding communities.
The Tesa Dam serves as a critical flood retention basin, temporarily storing stormwater during heavy rainfall before gradually releasing it into the drainage network. Authorities say years of siltation, encroachment and indiscriminate waste disposal have significantly diminished its effectiveness, necessitating the current intervention.
Coordinator of the Flood Mitigation Task Force, Brigadier General Forster Okae-Yeboah, said illegal developments had severely restricted the natural flow of water.
“The problem is that because people have built in this area, the channel has been narrowed. Water is therefore not able to flow freely to the holding area downstream where it is supposed to be collected. Since the channel is blocked, the area cannot take in enough water. The water backs up, causing the surrounding communities to flood.”
He said the exercise would go beyond demolition to ensure the waterways remain protected from future encroachment.
“After the demolition, we are going to clear the debris, dredge the area and create a buffer zone where people will no longer be allowed to build. We will also ask the assemblies to monitor the area so that whenever anyone attempts to encroach on it, immediate action is taken.”
