Are we ready for the rains?

Farmers jubilate when it rains because the rains ‘nourish’ their farms and help the crops blossom.

Meanwhile, some members of society do not jubilate when it rains heavily and continuously for personal and, sometimes, selfish reasons.

Those who frown upon the onset of the rains include the homeless and contractors and artisans working on projects that require sustained sunshine to dry  and stabilise the concrete or earth works.

Even those who wish there are no rains at all know that good rainfall is needed for our survival.

Whatever the case, farmers and everybody in society prepare for the rains. The rains precede the hot weather, during which period heat waves make life uncomfortable for all.

Therefore, as the harmattan weather eases, the people expect the rains to set in to reduce the heat and help farmers prepare the land for the planting of their crops.

Last Tuesday’s rains came as no surprise to many people who are familiar with the weather pattern of the country. What surprised many weather watchers, however, was the severe storm that accompanied the early rain.

Having learnt from the bitter experiences of the past, especially the June 3, 2015 incident when more than 150 lives were lost in the twin fire and flood disaster, some people started calling relations and friends to take precautions.

There are reports of destruction all over the city of Accra and other parts of the country, with Parliament House not being spared.

Fortunately, apart from the destruction to properties, there was no report of casualty and that is good news, indeed.

However, the less-than-an-hour rain again exposed our unpreparedness for the rainy season. Last Tuesday, the storm was devastating but the rain was not heavy and, therefore, Accra never recorded floods.

The slight rainfall did, however, flood gutters and shallow drains and water courses and exposed the filth in our city.

The Daily Graphic calls on the government to retool all the institutions responsible for humanitarian relief, so that they can provide the kind of relief required in times of emergency.

The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the district assemblies and the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) must be empowered to be in readiness for the rainy season, the possible floods and disasters.

The Daily Graphic thinks that, as a nation, we are not ready for the rains, as our lack of preparedness was exposed by last Tuesday’s rain.

The streets were littered with all kinds of refuse because the city authorities have not been able to whip the residents into line to respect sanitation regulations. We know that Zoomlion Ghana Limited, one institution that has played a yeoman’s role in the management of waste in the country, has always hearkened to the needs of the people.

It is our conviction that on the ‘eve’ of the rainy season, Zoomlion and other stakeholders will co-ordinate their activities to get the country in readiness for the rains.

The Daily Graphic urges the government to take disaster preparedness to another level where the country can have a rainy season without the perennial flooding.

We ought to be ready for the rains and their associated challenges.