Flood Alert: Afigya Kwabere South Physical Planning Officer Warns Against Building on Waterways After Deadly Accra Floods

The Physical Planning Officer for Afigya Kwabere South District of the Ashanti Region, Madam Elizabeth Sarpong, has issued a strong warning to residents to stop building on water paths and encroaching on nature reserves.

Speaking at a community engagement in Accra, Madam Sarpong said residents must change their mindset about where and how they build. She stressed that illegal structures on waterways are a major cause of flooding and property damage during heavy rainfall.

Her comments comes a day after flooding that hit parts of Accra, which claimed lives and destroyed properties. Madam Sarpong described the incident as tragic but preventable.

"What happened in Accra should be a wake-up call to all of us. When we block natural water paths with buildings, the water will find another way, and that way is usually through our homes," she stated. "At the end of it, you will face the consequences, and sometimes the consequences are fatal."

Madam Sarpong revealed that the Afigya Kwabere South District Assembly is preparing to tour various communities to collect data on all buildings sited on waterways. She said the exercise will help the Assembly identify structures at risk and take the necessary enforcement actions in line with the law.

"We should not venture into nature reserves. Those areas are meant to protect us. If you build there, you are putting your own life and the lives of others in danger," she added.

The Physical Planning Officer urged all prospective developers to seek approval from the Assembly before starting any construction. She explained that working with the Assembly’s physical planning department ensures buildings are sited in safe and approved areas.

"It is about time Ghanaians changed their way of life when it comes to development," she said. "Before you can build, you have to work in line with the Assembly’s physical planning so that you will not find yourself in a nature reserve or on a water path."

She advised residents to visit the District Assembly’s Physical Planning Department for guidance and permits to avoid demolitions and losses in the future.

Sompaonline,com/Bawa Baidoo