Housing Minister commends Dredge Masters for dredging Odaw Channel

The Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has commended Dredge Masters for good job done in dredging the Odaw Channel.

The minister who made the remarks after visiting the flood prone areas in Accra, promised that the government will invest a lot more resources to control perennial flooding in the country  especially in the capital city.

He explained that government has done a lot work in the past four years.

With regards to drainage provision alone, government  and invested about
GHc230 million”, he stated.

The minister was of the view that this annual dredging has help the country to prevent major floods.

He urged the citizens to do their part by desisting from dumbing solid waste into the drains. He said government’s efforts will amount to nothing if the citizens continue in their unusual ways.

The Odaw Channel starts from Kaprice, down through to Nkrumah Circle , Agbogloshie, Old Fadama then it gets into the upper and lower sections of the Korle lagoon and then into the sea.

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According to the Managing Director of Dredge Masters, Capt. Ansar Ahmed Khan, the purpose of the dredging is to deepen the Odaw lower lagoon as per design.

Speaking to the media, Capt. Khan said the exercise is 60% complete, adding that they expect to finish within 45 days.

The MD was however unhappy with unauthorized structures located close to the banks of the lagoon which were impeding the progress of work.

He mentioned that his company is engaging with authorities to relocate squatters to ensure smooth progress of work.

Silting happens naturally and from time to time dredging must be undertaken but these squatters are adding waste to silt,” he lamented.

Sena  Kofi Adiepana, the Operations Manager of Dredge Masters, observed that the lower lagoon serves as catchment area for tidal water from the sea so the purpose is to deepen it to hold more water and at the same time to allow for free flow of rain water from the Odaw Channel which comes from the upstream towards the lagoon.

He explained that “the lower lagoon is the focal point now. We deepening it to 2.5 metres

We are on the ground ensuring that as we approach the rainy season, there would be no flooding this year”

The first phase of the project started in 2015.