The government has commenced a major operation to reclaim and restore the Lafa water retention basin at Mallam as part of efforts to protect communities in Mallam, Weija, Dansoman and surrounding areas from perennial flooding.
The exercise, being undertaken by the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, follows years of illegal solid waste dumping, heavy silting and encroachment that have significantly reduced the basin’s capacity to retain and discharge stormwater.
Using heavy-duty equipment, the engineers are breaking up tonnes of compacted waste, dredging the basin and evacuating the debris to a designated landfill site at Nsawam.
The operation also includes the demolition of illegal structures and buildings erected within the water reserve, as well as the construction of protective embankments to prevent further encroachment.
The exercise is being coordinated by the Post-Flood Mitigation Task Force, headed by the Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations, Stan Xoese Dogbe.
The intervention is expected to continue for several weeks, although officials say the complete clearing and evacuation of waste could take months.
The operation is aimed at restoring the natural drainage capacity of the Lafa basin and reducing the devastating impact of flooding experienced by residents of Blue Lagoon, Mallam, Weija and parts of Dansoman following the torrential rains on June 29.
Heavy Silting Blamed for Flooding
The Head of Drainage at the Ghana Hydrological Authority, Ing. Richard Kofi Amekor, described the removal of the accumulated waste as a challenging task.
He attributed the perennial flooding along the Mallam-Gbawe and Awoshie-Kasoa highway corridors and parts of Dansoman to years of deliberate dumping of solid waste, boulders and laterite into the basin to illegally reclaim land for development.
“The perennial flooding in the Mallam-Gbawe and Awoshie-Kasoa highway corridor and parts of Dansoman is a result of the heavy silting of Lafa basin after years of deliberate dumping of solid waste, boulders and using laterite to secure the land illegally for sale to developers.”
Ing. Amekor said successful completion of the excavation would restore the basin to its natural state and enable it to accommodate significantly more water during heavy rainfall.
He explained that the Lafa waterway originates from Mallam-Gbawe Zero and flows through Santa Maria, Atieku, Pallas Town, Alhaji Tabora and McCarthy Hill before reaching the basin, where the water is gradually discharged into the sea.
According to him, years of heavy silting prevented the June 29 rainwater from properly entering the basin, forcing backwater into affected communities, including Blue Lagoon and the Dansoman enclave.
“The topography in this area with the hills upstream obviously pushes more water into this basin and the blockade causes the devastating floods.”
He said the intervention would significantly reduce the impact of flooding, although it might not eliminate the problem entirely.
“If this exercise is done, it will mitigate the floods that we do experience. It may not prevent it entirely but will significantly reduce the impact.”
Hydrological Authority Calls for Demolition of Illegal Structures
Ing. Amekor further called for the demolition of all illegal structures located within the basin, warning that such developments have further reduced its water-holding capacity.
“Some buildings are within the basin, and they have reduced its capacity. All those illegal structures must go down.”
He said the Ghana Hydrological Authority would work closely with the Weija-Gbawe Municipal Assembly to secure the banks after the removal of illegal structures.
“It’s a collective approach and we shall monitor consistently.”
Engineers Begin Major Dredging Operation
Brigadier General Richard Kinney, Commander of the 14 Engineer Brigade of the Ghana Armed Forces, said the immediate priority was to loosen the heavily compacted waste material to facilitate its removal.
“The main work is dredging.”
He explained that much of the waste had been capped with laterite and compacted over the years to create and secure land for illegal sale and development.
“We are trying to loosen the waste material dumped here for years, capped with laterite and compacted to secure part of the land for sale. Once we loosen, it will be easy to evacuate, and the haulage will be done at night to the final disposal site at Nsawam.”
Brigadier General Kinney said the operation would take several months and cautioned residents against further dumping and illegal activities around the basin.
“It’s going to take us months, and we must caution locals living around. No more dumping and those involved in the illegalities must stop immediately.”
Flood Mitigation Operations Expand Across Accra
Brigadier General Forster Okae-Yeboah, Director General of Joint Operations at the Ghana Armed Forces and Coordinator of the Flood Mitigation Works, said the government’s flood mitigation operations were continuing in other parts of Accra.
He said work was ongoing at Oyarifa, East Legon and the Kpeshie Lagoon area, while other flood-prone locations had also been earmarked for intervention.
“In the next week, the exercise will start at the Kpeshie enclave – Laboma beach area to open the channel into the sea.”
He said the objective was to reduce the impact of flooding in Accra and appealed to residents and other stakeholders to cooperate with the task force.
“Our objective is to mitigate the impact of floods in Accra, and I urge the public to cooperate with the taskforce.”
Brigadier General Okae-Yeboah also disclosed that funding and equipment had been secured for the flood mitigation works and encouraged private-sector actors to support the initiative.
“I am happy to announce that the President honoured his pledge and money is available, we have equipment to undertake the assignment, but government cannot do it alone so we shall be grateful to welcome the private sector if they want to come on board.”
The reclamation of the Lafa basin is expected to restore a critical component of the drainage system in the Mallam-Weija corridor and help reduce the severity of flooding in communities downstream.
Story: Patrick Asford Boadu
