Ghana Hydrological Authority to crack whip on encroachers

The Ghana Hydrological Authority says it will be resolute in strictly enforcing the laws by demolishing any structure or development done along major drains in the country.

Giving the warning, the Chairman of the Authority’s Governing Board, Mr Kwasi Anim, added that, “We really have to start to bite, the law has to bite, otherwise people will continue with the impunity.”

Mr Anim expressed these sentiments on Tuesday when he led a delegation made up of the board members to inspect ongoing drain projects at St Peter, Anaji and Kwesimintsim, near Takoradi, in the Western Region.

The team observed at the Kwesiminstim main drain site that a private developer had encroached on the statutory buffer zone with the erection of fence wall.

Mr Anim described the developer’s action as a huge drain on national investment, and firmly said, “that wall cannot stand; it’s coming down.”

He further said “The Act gives Ghana Hydrological Authority the mandate to actually demolish properties. Even if you have spent a lot of money in the investment, we have the power to do that. And we’re going to start to enforce the law.”

Mr Anim said Ghana’s problem was not about the laws in the books, but with its enforcement and mentioned that citizens needed to realise that the country was just wasting money and resources, which is unhelpful.

He expressed particular concerns about the said property, which, he noted, was just about a month old and wondered whether any law-abiding person would block the main Kwesimintsim drain, a national asset.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, Dr. John Kissi, told journalists it would be absolutely difficult to mobilise machinery to the site, reiterating that “this wall would need to go.”

He explained that all structures need to stay at least 50 metres clear from the channel.

He appealed to the residents of the area to assist the government by protecting its investment in infrastructure.

Dr. Kissi said the Kwesiminstim corridors used to be waterlogged and water always overflowed the banks of the drain.

He noted that the environment had dried up but said he was worried that buildings were springing up in the area.

He continued that “We need to appeal to the local authority to stop granting planning approval or planning permit for construction of projects so close to the channel, river bodies. Just behind us is a wall that is so close to the drain. If we need to undertake any maintenance work, it becomes a challenge.”

Dr Kissi said the government, since 2017, had remained committed to addressing the challenge of flood risks by investing in the National Flood Control Programme, with about GH¢250 million invested in 2018, GH¢200million in 2020, GH¢90 million in 2023, and GH¢250 million being worked on.

He indicated that the Kwesimintsim drain was part of the priority projects and mentioned that the Takoradi Airport, was another area where aeroplanes could not land or take off during heavy rains, and presenting negative economic implications for the airlines.

The Regional Director of the Authority, Mr Isaac Wuttoh, recalled that the Kwesimintsim drain project was started by the community and later they followed up with a petition concerning the dire plight of water running into their homes.

He told journalists that so far, engineers working in phases had done about 300 metres of stretch of the drain and also one kilometer of excavations out of the four-kilometre stretch, which starts from the SSNIT Flats area and enters the ocean.