Every year in Ghana, rain floods destroy many properties and homes and take lives, yet there is nothing our leaders and communities can do about it unless the damage is caused. The same happened in the Volta region over the weekend.
A torrential rain swept through the Volta Regional Capital, Ho, on Saturday. The late afternoon rain caused havoc in the suburbs downstream, destroying goods and properties worth millions of Ghana cedis.
A textile dealer, Ernestina Narh Enterprise, popularly known as Awonye Store, was the most notable victim in the unfortunate incident. A culvert measuring 10 feet wide that stretches through Ho-Banko, housing the Ho Poly Clinic area, couldn’t contain running water from upstream, which resulted in flooding the Asogli State premises in Bankoe.
The flood water later broke through the back of the textile shop situated at Civic Center, in the central business district of Ho. It washed away textiles and other goods. The Ghana National Fire Service, after preliminary investigations, described the incident as a “disaster”, due to the extensive havoc caused by the flood.
Station Officer 2, Mawuli Kagbame, led a team of firemen from the Ho Municipal Command to help retrieve items from the textile shop. He reiterated a call from the community for the culvert to be expanded to contain enough water. The Shop Owner, Ella Ati, blamed the havoc on some major pipes that run across the culvert around the shop.
According to her, flooding began in the area after the Ghana Water Company channeled some of its lines across the culvert. “I came to Ho at 16, and I am now 54. We had never experienced flooding until the pipes were installed in the area.
“I am telling the authorities that we have already lost our properties, but what happens if a life is lost next time? They must address the situation”, she said with sadness. To ensure their safety, the Ho Municipal Assembly has directed residents to leave the affected areas.
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