Saturday floods: My people are scattered and helpless - Adabraka Sahara-Odawna Assemblyman laments

Adabraka Sahara-Odawna is one of many areas badly devasted following an unconventional rainstorm that hit the capital on morning of Saturday, October 10.

The over six-hour rainfall wreaked immeasurable havoc in several areas in the capital as places which once served as shelters either got buried underwater, or became unhabitable.

Residents of Adabraka Sahara-Odawna, a suburb of Accra got their fair share of the devastation caused by the downpour as many homes got flooded.

When GhanaWeb visited the area, residents could be seen wading in the water to make way to what was once their homes. With the level of the water either knee or waist-deep depending on where they found themselves, they lamented about the situation which had cost them their livelihoods.

Assemblyman of the area, Hendrich Noble Kinnah proffered that the occurrence had rendered his people helpless as they have been forced to scatter.

He asserted that the area began to flood after some parts of Old Fadama, a suburb close-by which was originally a stream was filled up and buildings put up there.

Mr Noble Kinnah further noted that the action had created the flood waters from the rains to shift to their side of town, making it impossible to flow into the sea.

“…go and see Old Fadama, whether that place is flooded or not. It’s just like a stream moving and you decide to block one side… definitely one side will be submerged, because the water cannot flow into the sea.

“That is what is being done at Old Fadama; because they have filled the place with sawdust, all kinds of materials.

“Since they came to settle there, that is when we started having floods.” He lamented

He urged the government to intervene by relocating residents of Old Fadama and creating a buffer area to allow the rainwater to settle and gradually seep into the sea.

“…until the government takes that responsibility and make sure that Old Fadama residents relocate so they create buffer areas for the rain to settle and move into the sea slowly, nothing can be done about it.” He added.