Work has commenced to reclaim the Lafa water retention basin at Mallam as part of government’s ongoing efforts to mitigate flooding in Mallam, Weija, Dansoman and surrounding communities.
The operation is being led by the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, and is aimed at removing years of accumulated solid waste, silt and illegal structures that have significantly reduced the basin’s capacity to hold water.
The exercise includes dredging of the basin, evacuation of waste to a designated landfill site, demolition of illegal structures within the water reserve and the construction of protective embankments to secure the area.
The intervention, coordinated by the Post-Flood Mitigation Task Force, forms part of a broader national effort to restore waterways and drainage channels across Accra following the devastating June 29 floods.
Government has made resources and equipment available for the exercise, with similar works ongoing simultaneously at Oyarifa, East Legon and the Kpeshie Lagoon area.
The Task Force has urged the public to cooperate with the ongoing exercise and to desist from activities that obstruct waterways and undermine flood mitigation efforts.
Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
