Portions of the Kaneshie-Odorkor highway in Accra have become dangerous, making life unbearable for motorists, pedestrians and residents along the road.
This is because torrential rains have created potholes on the road, some of which have turned into pools with gutters on that stretch becoming choked.
Aside that, there is also a burst sewerage pipe which for the past two months has flooded the section of the road in front of the Kpogas Furniture shop area with faecal matter.
The situation has since forced the dual carriageway into a single lane, as drivers try as much as possible to avoid the dirty water and faecal matter from soiling their cars, thus causing traffic.
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The smelly waters flow from the area to the Darkuman Junction traffic lights.
The stench emanating from the water and the drainage system around has become a nightmare for residents, shop operators, cooked food sellers and passengers alike.
When the Ghanaian Times visited the area on Thursday afternoon, it was observed that four young men were removing the silt from the drain into a container, while others were pumping the repugnant water from the drain.
At the time of the Ghanaian Times’ visit, they had fetched and heaped some silt from the drain along one side of the road, with a tipper truck on standby to collect it from the area.
The situation was no different when the Ghanaian Times went to the place on Friday and Sunday as the work was still being done.
Regardless of the dire health consequences from the stench emanating from the water, residents, especially shop owners and passers-by, were still going about their daily economic activities to make ends meet.
A lottery operator, Solomon Tekper, who provided an account of the situation in the area, stated that when situations got worse, most shops had to close because the water entered their shops.
He added, “As for the stench, we have to bear it and come to open our stores because we have to make money.”
A roasted plantain seller along the same stretch of road, Akosua Brago, said, “The stench has become worst in the last two weeks, but we have no other choice than to do our business, even though we know if the situation is not addressed immediately, it could lead to a disease outbreak.”
The Assembly member for the Otaten Electoral Area, Patrick Kpakpo mentioned that as a result of the deplorable nature of the road, “Although my house is near, I have to drive to Sakaman to take a detour home.
Regarding the choked drains, he explained that many residents, hairdressers and beauticians had connected pipes to the drainage systems in the area, and also dumped rubbish and fecal matter in them.
When contacted, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Ablekuma North Municipal Assembly, Kofi Ofori, explained to the Ghanaian Times that water had to be pumped out of the drain to allow for desilting to take place.
“The gutter has blocked from the Hansonic Junction all the way to Circle. When you enter the drain, you see that people have dumped car tyres, fridges, bottles and plastic waste into it, and the sand in it is about 20 trips.
“When the people are putting these things in the gutter you won’t even see it, because they do it mostly in the night,” he said.
Mr Ofori explained that the attitude of residents had largely contributed to the drains being choked, but said he was optimistic that by the time the desilting was done, the challenge would have been solved.
Beyond the desilting, the MCE said, the Assembly would embark on sensitisation exercise to curb the practice of people dumping all manner of waste into the drain, and called for attitudinal change.
BY FRANCIS NTOW
