The Minister of Roads and Highways, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has directed the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to stop an ongoing building projects located on a waterway at the TUC Junction, in Kumasi.
The location is where the dualisation of the Dakodwom road is taking place.
Speaking during an inspection tour of some roads in Kumasi on Friday, Mr Asenso-Boakye said: “I am very disappointed to see the ongoing construction of buildings in such a waterlogged area where buildings are not supposed to be sited as the area is a reserve to contain the water during rainfall.”
According to the Roads and Highways Minister, dualisation work when completed, would in a year’s time begin to deteriorate because of the developments going on in the waterways, adding that where we have a lot of developments, it will undermine the capacity to hold the water and this will affect the road.
He pointed out that the laws of the country empowered the assemblies to ensure permits were not given for developments in waterlogged areas and was optimistic the KMA would sit up to do the needful.
When contacted, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Samuel Pyne, indicated that the assembly’s technical committee and engineers had assessed the place and the developers had taken measures that could mitigate flooding during rainfall.
He said the developers were expected to plant trees, widen drains that would be made and reinforce the environment against flooding as a result of the road work.
The minister and the team led by the Director of Urban Roads, James Amoo-Gottfried, also inspected the Oforikrom Area Roads, KNUST by pass road, and the construction of Nsenie-KNUST by pass road.
The tour took the team to Ejisu where the Akyawkrom area roads which are under rehabilitation were inspected.
Also at the Kwabre East, inspection included the rehabilitation of the Ntonso Fawode-Kenyase, Meduma 80 and Kwabre South District area roads.
Some selected area roads in Bantama, including Ohwim, Bronikrom, Asubonteng, Atafoa, Abrepo Asuogya, Bohyen, Kokoso/ Adumanu and Adoato area roads were also inspected.
The proposed rehabilitation of Tanoso-Techiman Road/Tanoso Pokukrom-Anwiam Roads and Denchembouso area roads were inspected, as well as Nhyieso-Odenehokwadaso, Fankyenebra, Atasamanso, Apraman and, Anyinam area roads.
In all the places visited, it was observed that work was seriously ongoing to the satisfaction of community members.
It was quite a scene at Atafoa where a bridge has been completed, when a young man who survived after being carried away by flood, led a team to thank the minister for the efforts to complete the bridge.
Alex Osei Kwaku, the young man, together with four of his friends were carried away by the flood but he survived, while the four died during a heavy rainfall about three months ago.
FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE, KUMASI
