We must not be caught unprepared again

If there is a place in this country where people panic at the mere mention of rain or on seeing dark clouds gather overhead, then it is Accra.

This is because the nation’s capital has, over the last few years, been about the worst hit whenever it rains and people have not forgotten the flood and fire disaster of June 3, 2015 that claimed about 160 lives and destroyed properties.

An inspection team from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) was reported earlier this week to have toured places such as Kaneshie, Sukura, Osu Clottey and Chemu to see how drains were being cleared ahead of this year’s rainy season.

The Ghana Meteorological Agency has already warned of likely heavy rains this year and the tour was obviously to enable the AMA and the RCC officials to ascertain how the city was preparing for the expected deluge.

The AMA and the RCC, according to the reports, said a scheme had been put together to clear a number of drains in Accra of silt before the rains set in. 

The reality is that there are many flood-prone areas in the city, partly as a result of indiscriminate dumping of rubbish, and a lot more needs to be done, apart from clearing the gutters, to improve the overall situation.

Public education on good sanitation practices must be a priority for the AMA, since people sometimes exhibit bad habits out of ignorance of the real consequences. There must be an intense public awareness campaign to discourage residents from littering with plastics and choking the gutters with garbage. 

It is common knowledge that some structures demolished to allow for the free flow of water after the June 2015 disaster have resurfaced, thereby putting lives in danger again in case of another prolonged heavy rain. 

The relevant authorities must not only see to the clearing of gutters but also ensure that there is discipline in the siting of buildings.

There are laws governing where structures can be erected and where they cannot. Unless these laws are constantly invoked to deal with wrongdoers, the nation’s capital will always be an eyesore, especially when it rains. 

We, in theory, have a National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) but we are all aware of how under-resourced it is and the lack of appropriate training for its staff. Lives and property can be saved when we have a NADMO and other emergency response outfits that work.

The least said about the National Ambulance Service, the better. Maybe there are genuine efforts to make the service efficient, but it is generally a dreary situation when it comes to the number of functioning ambulances around the country. 

In a country where the slightest rainfall can cause mayhem, all the emergency services, including ambulances, must be working well.  

Waste management companies sometimes complain about not being paid for their services for long periods. We cannot expect such outfits to do what is expected of them if they are starved of the cash that will enable them to operate efficiently.

Though some things happen by natural design and cannot be averted, there are circumstances we can control for our safety. We cannot stop the rain from falling, but we can, at least, prevent the gutters from getting choked, leading to avoidable floods. 

 In order that we don’t get swept away by the rains again this year, we must all do our little bit to safeguard the environment and save our own lives.