NADMO targets 50 percent disaster reduction in Cape Coast Metro

The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has expressed its commitment to reduce hydrological disasters by 50 percent in the Cape Coast Metropolis by the end of the year.

The projection is to reduce the incidence of hydrological disasters in the Cape Coast Metropolis by 50 percent," Mr Kwame Odame, Head of Disaster, Cape Coast NADMO has said.

Speaking in an interview with the media in Cape Coast on NADMO's preparedness ahead of the raining season, Mr Odame said his outfit had put in place stringent measures to help prevent and reduce the impact of disasters across the Metropolis.

The move include investments in NADMO personnel, logistics, dredging and opening of drains in communities for easy flow of water.

NADMO was also strictly monitoring early warning systems to aid the identification of disasters in their formative stages, to disseminate timely information and warning and also engage in hazard/disaster awareness creation campaign.

Above all, the organization was also re-awakening its disaster volunteer clubs in schools, communities and institutions, intensify public education in communities and media and being vigilant at flood-prone communities to avert disasters.

The initiatives, Mr Odame admitted would give strong boost to communities’ early response to disasters or potential disasters and said that would ease their workload.

Nevertheless, he conceded the fact that with the onset of rains, it was expected that some communities will experience floods and rainstorm disasters, but was hopeful that measures instituted will help reduce the impact of such disasters and ameliorate the plights of victims.

Mr Odame identified major hydrological disaster prone areas in the metropolis to among others include Ayifua junction, Amamoma, Kwapraw, OLA, Kotokoraba ECG, Ankafo and parts of University of Cape Coast.

In all of these communities, he explained that NADMO had noticed the absence of proper drainage systems, small existing coverts, encroachment on valleys, erecting of fence walls and buildings on waterways, poor building layout, silted storm and earth drains as well as uncompleted or abandoned road construction as major contributory factors.

Mr Odame appealed to the public to co-operate to deal with environmental issues to significantly reduce human induced disasters, adding that "disaster prevention is not the sole prerogative of NADMO but a shared responsibility".

He advised owners of high rise buildings, to install fire suppression systems, which was the most current method for curbing fire outbreaks and warned all tenants and Landlords occupying old and dilapidated structures to vacate them to protect and save their lives.