Dredging works on the Aboabo and Susan streams to resume

The dredging of the Aboabo and Susan streams in Kumasi is to resume and owners of structures sited 15 metres away from the banks of the streams have been directed to either voluntarily remove them or have them demolished.

Mr Edward Akuamoah-Boateng, Chairman of the Asokwa Sub-Metropolitan Council, gave the directive in Kumasi on Thursday in an interview with the Ghana News Agency.

He was reacting to a question on measures the Asokwa Sub-Metro Council had instituted to resume the dredging of the streams that started in December last year but came to a standstill in March.

"The lack of funds for procurement of lubricants and fuel, accounted for the temporary halt of dredging works in March this year", he explained.

Mr Akuamoah-Boateng said, even though, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) spent 150 million cedis between December 2002 and March year on the dredging works, "the laudable works on the streams have been rendered meaningless since the streams have once again been choked with sawdust".

The sawdust and waste that have been lodged into the dredged portion of the Aboabo stream emanated from the Anloga carpenters, who have their carpentry shops and structures just along the stream, he observed.

Mr Akuamoah-Boateng said: "If we are to ensure that we do not expend funds on the dredging works only for the streams to be re-filled with sawdust, human and industrial waste, then it is imperative for us to remove structures along the streams".

Meanwhile, dustbins are soon to be provided the carpenters by the KMA, he said, adding that to accelerate the pace of work on the streams upon resumption this month, the dredging would start from the Aboabo-Anyiam-Dagomba Line stretch of the Aboabo stream to Atonsu.