Delay no further to let hydrology law bite

The resolve by the Ghana Hydrological Authority to strictly enforce the law by demolishing any structure or development done along major drains in the country is long overdue.

Making reference to encroachment on the statutory buffer zone around the main drain in Kwesimintsim, near Takoradi, the Western Regional capital, the Authority said it has to start to make the law to bite, otherwise people will continue with the impunity.

Certain remarks by some state agencies provoke thoughts and remarks against the very agencies expressing worries about one problem or another that relates to their oversight.

Where were the officials of the Authority and the district assembly when the encroachment on the buffer zone started?

If a fresh wall erected into the buffer zone is known to be one-month old, it means its start was noticed. (See story on page ….)

If so, what did the relevant state officials do?

It is not the best way to look on for people to do the untoward like raising a wall to block the main Kwesimintsim drain and later express wonder as to whether any law-abiding person would do so.

Clearly, it is only lawless persons who would do this and these are the people for whom the law exists.

The law must surely work and it must start with state officials who explicitly or implicitly allow the undesirable.

For instance, administrative procedures could be followed to suspend some of these officials or even dismiss them when they are found culpable.

We should begin to hold state officials accountable for their poor performance.

Their acts of negligence by such officials, for instance, are equally as corrupt as the moves of officials who misapply or misappropriate state funds because they draw salaries from state coffers without rendering the services expected of them.

If encroachers’ actions are a drain on national investment, especially because it always takes money to correct the wrong ensuing thereby, then public officials who neglect their duties but continue to enjoy their remunerations are a worse drain.

Should the Ghana Hydrological Authority tell the public that it has the mandate to demolish properties in buffer zones that fall under its remit before it acts?

The encroachers know they are trespassing but they ignore the obvious because they have some tacit encouragement coming from somewhere.

And this encouragement must be deflated with the strict enforcement of the law.

This brings us to the position taken by the Authority that the country’s problem is not about the laws in the books, but with their enforcement.

In fact, the Ghana Hydrological Authority has a huge task to perform in the physical development of the country.

It is to promote hydrological service delivery for the planning, design, execution, operation and maintenance of flood control mechanisms; works related to coastal engineering, sewage, drainage improvement and river development; and operational and applied hydrology.

Looking at even just how tidal waves are threatening power installations and the devastation of floods in the country, the Authority must know that much is expected of it.

To this end, it should not entertain anything that would undermine its efforts such as encroachment on buffer zones of water bodies in the country.