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Accra residents fume over persistent floods    …after early morning downpour

Some residents of Accra yesterday called on government to immediately roll-out a plan to tackle the persistent flooding situation major parts of the city.

The call followed flooding in several parts of Accra, resulting in human and vehicular traffic.

Madina, Spintex, Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, Kaneshie Market, Kaneshie First Light, Dansoman, Tetteh Quarshie roundabout, Dzorwulu and many other communities were all affected by the torrential rain which began Tuesday dawn.

Residents in the affected areas were seen scooping water out of their  houses and offices while others moved their belongings to safety.

A frustrated public sector worker, Seidu Ahmed asked the government to increase investment in the needed infrastructure and projects that addresses flood and enables free flow of rain water.

Emmanuel Ebo Gyamfi, a nurse, also advised the government to focus on enforcing the sanitation laws to fight indiscriminate disposal of waste into drains.

He attributed recent high spate of flooding in Accra to choked gutters and drains which stops the free flow of rain water.

Two retirees, Auntie Yaa Osei and John Allotey advocated changes in the design of drainage systems in Accra, which makes it possible for unscrupulous people to dump waste in gutters.

Social media was also awashed with concerns about government’s current priorities when the capital city was always submerged after few hours of rainfall.

One user on Twitter, in view of the floods warned residents in flood prone areas to stay indoors

The floods were noticeably more disruptive at Kaneshie and the junction between Graphic Road and Ring Road West, resulting in gridlock.

Motorists who drove through floodwaters were half-submerged as roads became fast-moving torrents.

Some pedestrians who were caught in the middle of the flood areas clinged to the back of ‘trotros’ and lorries to avoid being carried away by running water.

Some commuters also decided against continuing the trip to their destinations for fear of moving into a flooded area.

To avoid any fatalities, some personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service were deployed to flood-prone areas including Adabraka to offer rescue services to people in distress.

Other Parts of the city visited by the Ghanaian Times included  First light, Abossey Okai , Graphic Road, Intercity STC, Asylum Down and Alajo where some schools were forced to close down to save the children, East Legon and Shiashie.

It was also revealed that some parked vehicles swept into the Odawna channel while others were deposited into opened gutters by the ravaging floods.

The floods also created more pools of water and potholes on the roads while vehicle were broken down when water entered their engines.

At Abossey Okai, shop owners were seen scooping water from their shops while others used water pumps to save the situation as they salvaged their wares.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMA) warned that the rainstorm in the eastern coast and portions of the inland areas would continue into the afternoon.

It further warned that the rains would cause flash floods over flood-prone areas.

BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS AND ANITA ANKRAH

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