Fix our perennial flooding situation - Kasoa residents appeal

Residents of Kasoa and surrounding communities in the Central Region have called for a permanent solution to the perennial flooding around the tollbooths and ‘Atala’, near the old barrier.

They expressed concern that whenever the two places got flooded, heaps of silt were washed onto the road, which forms part of the trans-West African Highway.

That, they said, made it difficult for vehicles to ply the routes as a result of the blockage, leading to traffic congestion, as drivers struggled to find alternative routes to get to their destinations.

Situation

Last Monday night’s downpour, for instance, resulted in heavy traffic congestion between the Old Barrier and the tollbooth area, a situation occasioned by the piling up of sand at the Atala section.

The place became completely impassable, with two vehicles getting stuck in the sand.

The situation compelled drivers to spend about two hours between the Old Barrier and the tollbooths.

To avoid the inconvenience, some vehicles from Kasoa had to go through Tuba to Bortianor to the Old Barrier en route to Accra and other places.

Drivers who used the main Kasoa-Mallam road also had to use the various U-turns off the stretch to join the lanes of vehicles going from Accra to Kasoa, resulting in massive congestion between the Old Barrier and the tollbooths.

As of 2 p.m. yesterday [ May 26, 2022], the traffic situation had not improved as the sand was being collected from the area.

Concerns

Over the years, efforts to address the problem through the construction of a drainage system had not been successful due to the huge volume of sand and water from the top of the hill along the road.

The problem has been attributed to the destruction of the vegetation on the hill, leading to free flow of water, sand and other debris whenever it rains.

Some of the residents told the Daily Graphic that promises by the authorities to fix the problem had, over the years, not yielded results.

A trader, Vivian Boateng, said she was a regular user of the road and that “this problem has been there for years; it is surprising that the authorities have not been able to find solutions to it”.

“Whenever it rains heavily, I am not able to go to Accra to sell because I know the road will be blocked,” she added.

Another resident, Efo Nicholas, said the people were tired of the many visits by the authorities to the place after every downpour.

Ms Ama, a resident of Block Factory in the area, said: “You cannot use the community road whenever it rains because you have volumes of water flowing from behind the mall to this place. It is sad and unfortunate that nothing has been done to improve the situation, despite the fact that it recurs with each downpour.”