By Frank Amponsah
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday visited Circle in Accra to inspect ongoing works being done by Dredge Masters on the Odaw River.
The President was briefed about progress of work and all the assurance was given by officials of Dredge Masters that work would be completed in no time to ease the flow of water so as to avert the perennial flooding.
Engineer Wise Ametefe of Dredge Masters who briefed the President enumerated that in June 2016, a 2-year contract was awarded to Dredge Masters Limited for the desilting and dredging of the Odaw channel and restoration of the Korle lagoon to avert the perennial flooding in Accra under the Accra Sanitary Sewer Storm Drainage Alleviation Project.
He said the scope of works in that contract also included the redesign and construction of the KLERP interceptor and breakwater at the outfall.
Dredging works under the initial contract was completed in March 2017 with designs on civil works ongoing.
As work begun, over 1 million cubic meters of dredged materials was removed from the channel and lagoon and the client under the initial agreement in February 2019, approved 2 years extension for the maintenance dredging of the Odaw channel and Korle lagoon under the same scope.
Prior to the commencement of dredging operations, encroachers and squatters along the drains had to be removed with assistance from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and the Ghana Police Service.
However, Dredge Masters Limited is working round the clock in day-and-night operations to restore the drainage efficiency and holding capacity of the channel and lagoon to avert any flooding in this year’s rainy season.
The President expressed satisfaction at the pace of work and urged the contractors to speed up the work since the rains have set in.
The storm drain from the Odaw Onyasia confluence at Carprice in Accra, through Avenor, Kwame Nkrumah interchange, Agbogbloshie, South Kaneshie drain, the Upper and the Lower Lagoon has also been worked on.
According to the Engineer the successful work on the drain has brought some relief to people living in those communities.
According to him plans are underway to beautify areas around the drain to ward off people who defecate and throw rubbish into the drain.
At Kaneshie 1st Light junction, where an emergency priority storm drain is being constructed, the project manager, Mr. George Asiedu, told the President that the 630-metre-long storm drain will help end the perennial flooding that occurs in Kaneshie and its environs.
“It is heartwarming to note that, after Monday’s heavy downpour, there was no flooding at Kaneshie and its environs, even though the work has not been completed. Indeed, the project should have been completed by 15th April, but it is now set to be completed in June this year,” Mr. Asiedu added.
Currently, there are some twenty-one (21) dredging and desilting works ongoing in Greater Accra. These include: works ongoing at South Kaneshie, Sukura-Mampon, Mataheko, Kaneshie Highway, St Mary’s at Korle Gonno, Calypso Drain at Kpone Katamanso, Awudome, Kwashie Bu, Bale Down Stream, Castle Drain at Klottey Lagoon and Agbogbloshie.
The rest are at: Avenor (Kofi Krom), North Kaneshie (CMB Flats), Amasaman Market Drain, Dansoman (Ave Maria), Opete Kwei (Pambros), Chemu Channel, Tetegu, SCC Junction, Muss (Ofankor), and Shiabu-Glefe. Additionally, there are 11 storm drains currently under construction at Odawna, Abeka, First Light (Kaneshie), Madina Maye Hot, Gbawe Drain, Awoshie Mangoase, Sukura Mampon, Haatso, Morton International School, Awudome Down Stream, and North Industrial Area
