Some Engineers in Koforidua have met under the auspices of the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly to evaluate the Ghc16 million Nsukwao drainage facilities.
The engineers identified some defects downstream which caused last Monday’s devastating flood.
The Engineers have therefore made recommendations to the Contractor of the project and sent a report to the National Hydrology Center to help fix the problem to avert another disaster.
Meanwhile, the Assembly believes had it not been the construction of the Nsukwao Drainage facility, the entire Koforidua township would have submerged last Monday considering the magnitude and volume of glad floods recorded in the Municipality.
The Eastern Regional Capital, Koforidua recorded another devastating flood on Monday, September 13, 2021, after few hours of heavy downpour.
The two-hour rainfall which started around 4:00pm caused a flash flood in parts of the new Juaben South Municipality.
Major roads were flooded obstructing the free flow of traffic for many minutes.
Dozens of homes and shops near the Nsukwao drainage facility were also seriously flooded causing damage to many household properties and items being offered on sale in the shops
Some houses and walls collapsed as the flood water overflew the newly constructed drainage system and violently entered the home to destroy their properties.
Many domestic animals particularly dogs, cats, sheep, goats, and hens were drowned and carried away by the floods.
Some old men and women were rescued to safer places by their families as the water levels reach almost window level.
The floods also carried away sums of monies belonging to some of the victims.
Dozens of residents displaced were seen salvaging their damaged items.
Some of the displaced victims slept in vehicles with their families while others slept with friends and families.
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on August 4, 2020, cut sod for the construction of the GH¢15,811,145.00 Nsukwao Basin Drainage Project, in Koforidua under the Ghana Secondary Cities Support Programme (GSCSP) of the World Bank to mitigate the perennial flooding situation in the Municipality.
The project included the installation of four (4) storm water surface detention ponds distributed along the Nsukwao River, flow facilities, channelization, and stream bank stabilization, concrete pipes and culverts, and two access roads.
However, residents affected by the Monday floods are questioning the quality of work done on the completed project hence calling on the World Bank and President Akufo Addo to investigate.
For the victims, the flood was the worst in many decades.
“It looks as if the leadership of the nation is not serious. This Nsukwao drainage is funded by the World Bank. So we were expecting quality and excellent job, not this shoddy work. The consultant and contractor instead of breaking the old gutter and construct a new gutter they didn’t do that rather did embankment at just one side and it couldn’t solve the problem. Many people are homeless now” Stephen Akakpo said.
Another resident Michael Ofosu said “We thought this project was to solve the flooding situation but it has become worst. The contractor did shoddy work. They should have excavated the gutter to 15ft. For the past 50 years, we have not witnessed such a magnitude of flooding in this area. It has destroyed everything. President and world bank should investigate this project”
Juliana Asantewa, escaped death when the floods collapsed parts of a room she was sleeping in during the incident.
“The flood collapsed my house and carried away all my monies about Ghc2,000 and that of my child’s money Ghc2, 500. I was in the room sleeping but all of sudden I saw part of the building collapsing; the floor water violently entered the room and carried away all my belongings”. She said while weeping.
A civil Engineer, Nii Addy, whose house was seriously flooded and a wall collapsed lamented that “the drainage system is not well constructed. I am a civil Engineer so when they started this I told the MCE that this drainage that they are doing there will cause us shortly. But they didn’t listen. He told me they have a consultant. This drainage system has tributaries -others joining it, so you need to dig this one down so all the tributaries will come and join it to flow but they didn’t do it like that, they just embarked on one side so little rains cause flood”.
Ghateco School was also affected by disrupting Academic work.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
