292 people, 47 households displaced by flood waters

A total of 292 people specifically from Ehyiam, a suburb of Kojokrom in the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolis have been displaced following a heavy downpour last Friday and Saturday.

Out of the number, 55 were male while the remaining female.

Three days after the downpour, the displaced indigenes have been counting their losses, with personnel of the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) and National Disaster and Management Organisation (NADMO) going round to assess damage to properties by the floodwaters.

Speaking to the STMA NADMO Coordinator, James Obeng, told this reporter in a telephone interview that a total of 47 households were affected, with one kitchen razed to the ground as a result of the flood.

Properties such as televisions, blankets, and electronic gadgets, according to him, have been destroyed.

James Obeng said those particularly affected are now living with relatives in the nearby communities, whilst others were drying their wet belongings and counting their losses in the process.

He said his office personnel had gone round and realised that a whooping sum of GH¢112 million would be needed in the form of relief items to assist the victims.

He said, for now, his office had finished with the data collection and presented it to the Regional Secretariat of NADMO.

NADMO says gathering the data, it realised that the 292 people were victims of the flood because of a narrow bridge that could not contain water from the Anarkwa River.

The Anarkwa River passes through Ehyiam to the Ntwaban water treatment plant.

But the NADMO Coordinator said the bridge, which was constructed by a ceramic company, was so narrow that the volume of water had to reverse causing the flood.

Obeng told this reporter “the bridge was too narrow that the volume of water could not be contained forcing the water to spill back, causing a flood and destroying properties.”

He said having identified the cause of the flood, the STMA has directed that the narrow bridge be pulled down and rebuilt to contain future volumes of water coming from the Anarkwa River.