Revealed: 10 truths behind the Accra floods and disaster

Truths behind the Accra floods : Once again Accra came under floods and we were not ready. Every year this country especially Accra, faces severe rains which leave many homeless and destroys life and property. It destroys business and drives entrepreneurs into debts.

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Last week Wednesday will go into the history books of this country as a black Wednesday. On this day, the city of Accra became flooded like never before and left in it’s trail, dead bodies, homeless citizens, destroyed properties, washed away cars, ruined businesses etc.

It also lead to an explosion at the GOIL filling station at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, leaving behind over a hundred dead people.

We keep asking ourselves what the problem is and we have uncovered 10 main reasons behind the flood and disaster. Forget all the political talk, the truth is what we have revealed below, read on:

1. Incompetence and corruption on the part of authorities The Accra Mayor won an award recently as the best Mayor in Africa and giant billboards were mounted in his honor but the city he is supposed to have won an award for is in tatters. Laws which are supposed to be used in running the city are flouted upon by both the enforcers and citizens alike. The city is in a state of disarray and the authorities seem not to have any clue as to how to ensure sanity. Monies meant for projects to forestall some of these occurrences go into individual pockets. People dwell in unlawful places and authorities take money from them and allow them to continue to occupy these places. Even to properly dispose of waste in the city is a problem. There is rubbish everywhere yet the Mayor wins an award. He doesn’t seem to have any solution to the various problems confronting the city.

2. Bad drainage system within the city The whole of Accra is poorly planned. Drains are so small a little downpour fills them up. Flood prone areas have existed for years in this country yet authorities makes no effort to rectify the problem. All drains are supposed to connect into the main drain which finally leads into the sea but this doesn’t work. Most drains in Accra lead to a dead end and therefore the water that flows through them overflow when ever there’s excess. This is what causes flooding during heavy rains. Gutters built in the 70’s are still in existence without any expansion even though human and economic activities have increased.

3. Buildings on waterways Building on a waterway is like plugging your sink or bath tub whiles your tap is running. It fills up and overflows right? Anybody picks a foreman, some artisans, and begins to build. They then splash “stop work, produce permit” notices on the buildings, obviously to trick authorities while they continue working. They then build along waterways or on top of gutters. Authorities are aware of these but because of bribery and corruption, they allow these things to continue. There are many buildings on waterways and you ask yourself, how did they obtain their building permits. We the people for our own selfish interest, perpetrate these acts which at the end causes the loss of lives of innocent people and leads to the destruction of many properties. Waterways are supposed to guide water into the appropriate channels, therefore building to block redirects the water into homes and offices when it accumulates without an escape route when it rains. Why can’t we do the right thing for once????

4. Hawking on the streets For years hawking on our streets has been a major headache. Not only is it unsightly, it also leads to the production of so much waste which in the end, finds it’s way into gutters. Our pavements have become mini malls where every sellable item is displayed for sale. At the end of the day, all the pieces of papers and rubbers that these people use, find their way into the gutters, choking it in the process. Waste collectors collect these in the morning but those which may have entered the gutters or blown away by the wind, might have lodged somewhere by then. It also means that when it rains in the evening, these will be washed away before the collectors can even clean them in the morning.

5. Littering and disposal of waste in gutters Even the man in suit will drink a sachet of water and drop it on the ground. The streets of Accra are filled with so much waste you wonder if we have health conscious people in this city. Apart from flooding, stagnant water left behind after the rains also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes which later infect us with malaria. Visit our seashores after rain and witness the amount of waste washed ashore. These are all coming from us, the citizens. When it begins to rain, people carry waste from their homes and quickly pour it into gutters or on the ground in front of their homes with the idea that the rain water will wash it away. The question these people fail to ask themselves is, “where is the rain washing it to”. These end up choking our gutters and leads to flooding.

6. No or poorly maintained storm drains Storm drains are designed to drain excess rain and ground water from paved streets, parking lots, sidewalks, and roofs. They are fed by street gutters on most motorways, freeways and other busy roads, as well as towns in areas which experience heavy rainfall, flooding and coastal towns which experience regular storms. Many storm drainage systems are designed to drain the storm water, untreated, into rivers or streams. They contain catchbasins or traps which lie below the grayed inlets and helps trap sediments and objects. These can be opened and the catchbasins cleaned of all objects to allow the free flow of water into the drains. However, most of these are blocked along the streets of Accra due to littering. Authorities have failed to routinely remove these basins to clean them of all trapped debris and filth. Some roads and pavements are also without these storm drains and this is what leads to flooding when it rains in Accra.

7. Lack of knowledge on the dangers filling stations pose during storms We as a people, lack enough knowledge on the dangers filling/fuel stations pose during floods. During floods, the underground tanks can become engorged with water which can then leak the fuel unto the surface of the water if there’s any little leakage on the tank. This can then cause an explosion if there’s a spark. Apart from this, lightning which accompanies heavy rain and storms, pose a serious danger to the station since it can cause sparks and fire when it strikes a metal. Flood water at the location can also cause an explosion if struck by lightning since water is a good conductor of electricity and the combustive nature of chemicals at the station can be ignited by the electric charge through the water. With Gas, Petrol, Diesel all at one place, coupled with lightning, this place is not your safety haven during a flood.

8. Lack of knowledge on shelter during storm or heavy rain We lack knowledge on how to properly shield ourselves during heavy rain or storm. Education or information or safety during rain is very minimal and this has cost a lot of lives and property. The incident at the GOIL filling station is one very good example. If people knew that there was more danger seeking shelter from the floods at the fuel station, I believe they would have chosen to walk in the rain. It’s important for people to know that they need to study the demography of an area to know the low level and the high level spots so they can move towards the high level spots during storms. Standing under a canopy in water during rain is as dangerous as touching a live electrical wire. Lightning is just electrical charges and water being a conductor of electricity, can easily get you electrocuted during a storm if struck by lightning. It’s also important to avoid unsteady structures like kiosks since they can just give way. People therefore need to be properly informed on the places to avoid and places to go to during a storm.

9. Unpreparedness of authorities for such eventualities Our authorities are always caught unawares during such situations. I believe that information from the Ghana Meteorological Service should get authorities prepared with support before such disasters occur. Plus we all know June starts our raining season so we should be better prepared for any eventuality. The fire service, military, NADMO and all other agencies should be on high alert especially around flood prone or problem areas to forestall some of these eventualities. Why can’t authorities embark on evacuations ahead of such storms or inform citizens of impending storms so they can protect themselves? They are always caught by surprise and they act after the damage has been done already.

10. Lack of or Untimely information on weather conditions and it’s severity The Ghana Meteorological service does it’s best to bring us weather reports but we are always caught unawares by the severity of it. Outside the country, there is accurate information on severity of weather conditions and this leads to preparations towards them. Where there should be evacuations, they are done. Where people are warned to stay away from certain areas, that is done too. I believe if the meteorological service can provide such information, citizens can prepare and protect themselves much better.