[ad_1]
General News of Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Source: Graphic.com.gh
2019-04-16
Cecilia Dapaah, Minister of Sanitation
The government has allocated 197 million GH ¢ to perpetual flood control in Accra.
The funds are allocated to the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, responsible for flood control, to undertake various projects and works to reduce the impact of the floods in Accra.
Mrs. Cecilla Dapaah, Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, informed her during her visit to the Metropolitan Area Water Supply and Sanitation Project Office. Accra (GAMA-SWP) of the Madina Local Government Studies Institute in Accra to become familiar with its activities. .
GAMA-SWP was initiated by the Ministry of Water Supply and Sanitation and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to ensure that every household in the city has a toilet. It aims to promote a clean and healthy environment.
"Floods can be controlled"
Ms. Dapaah briefed the media after their visit to the GAMA office, as part of efforts to limit flooding, dredging and desensitization of the main drains of the capital.
In addition, she added, more drains would have to be built to allow free flow of water when it rained to reduce persistent floods in Accra.
Context
Accra continues to be submerged in the water after a few hours of rain due to clogged drains that do not allow free flow of water.
More than 10 people have died since the beginning of the rainy season this year. Last Sunday's rains claimed the lives of six people, including a couple of soldiers, according to the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO).
Some environmental experts wondered why the government had not done work on the drains before the rains, even as the Ghana Meteorological Authority had predicted more rains this year than the country registered in the country. 39, last year.
Change of attitude needed
Ms. Dapaah noted that, although some floods could not be controlled, others were controllable by ensuring that drains were cleared to allow water to be transported whenever it was raining. .
She therefore stressed the need for a change of attitude to end the indiscriminate dumping of garbage in the sewers, claiming that "any captured person could be liable to a term of imprisonment" .
She added that the Ministry of Sanitation would soon distribute 40,000 garbage cans to households and other places to avoid the indiscriminate dumping of garbage, while sanitation guards would be looking for anyone who would throw away garbage. garbage.
She also stated that her ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), was striving to put in place legislation to ensure that plastic manufacturers use biodegradable materials in their products to reduce the risk of plastics in the city.
Domestic toilets
The coordinator, Mr. George Asiedu, briefed the Minister on the progress of the GAMA project. He said 19,917 domestic toilets had already been built in GAMA.
He added that this number exceeded the target of 19,100 envisioned for the end of the project in May of next year.
"We exceeded the target set 13 months before the closing date indicated by our sponsors, which shows that the project is well managed," he said.
He also stated that 255 toilets had been provided to schools in the defined area.
Water
In addition, a 255-kilometer pipeline was set up for low-income people within GAMA, while 5,143 new water service connections were made to serve approximately 370,000 people in the area. region, he said.
As part of GAMA-SWP's efforts to control perpetual floods in Accra, Asiedu said 22 drains in the capital were designated for dredging and washing.
Source link
