NADMO questioned timing of dredging of the Odaw River

The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) is questioning the timing of dredging of the Odaw River.

The dredging of the Odaw commenced last month after government renewed the contract with Dredge Masters and is expected to be completed within a year.

So far the company said it has been able to remove a one million cube meters of materials from the Odaw drain and is confident that the work will avert major flood disasters during the raining season.

But NADMO which is currently dealing with the effect of Wednesday rains that have claimed three lives said the exercise could have been more productive in reducing the impact had it started earlier.

Speaking on Accra based Starr FM on Friday, the Communication Director of NADMO, Mr George Ayisi said the organization would be challenged greatly is the distress level from the floods go up.

“Work is ongoing, if it could have reached a certain point, I think it would have been very helpful but this one when the take the sands or the silted materials to the top, before the collect them away from there, the rain will wash it back and it’s challenging. I thought they could have start earlier and it could have been more productive “he said.

But Dredge Masters have defended the work done so far.

The Operations Manager of Dredge Masters Ghana Limited, Mr. Sena Adiepena said devastation could have been worst but for the amount of safety moves.

“When it rained we were on the ground to inspect … we have wall barriers along the drains which we observed that they prevented the water from going further into the community”.

“What have done has significantly reduced the level of the damage. If not for what we did the volume taken out would have water in its place over flowing”, he explained.