Ningo, Glefe coastal protection projects progressing steadily
Contractors working on the Ningo Coastal Protection Project have promised to deliver the project by September this year.
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The Project Manager for Dredge Masters Limited, Ghana (DML), the contractor on the project, Kwasi Osei Sarpong, gave the assurance last Tuesday, when the Deputy Minister of Works and
Housing, Dr Prince Hamid Armah, visited the project site at Ningo to inspect the progress of work.
Mr Sarpong said the project involved the construction of 24 groynes — 200 metres apart — to cover five kilometres of coastline in the community.
He said the contract was awarded in October 2019 and was expected to be completed in October 2023 but due to the COVID-19 challenges the completion date delayed.
He was, however, optimistic that works would be completed and handed over by September.
Mr Sarpong said apart from protecting the shoreline and the livelihood of the people, the second component of the project which involved the dredging of the 1.5 kilometres of lagoon at the Ningo estuary was also progressing steadily.
Chief Hydrographic Surveyor on the project, Rajesh Kumar, said so far 700 metres out of the 1.5 kilometre of the lagoon had so far been completed, adding that workers were working around the clock to have the dredging component also completed by September.
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He said when completed the lagoon would support salt production business upstream and also boost fishing in the lagoon, while encouraging boat rides to facilitate tourism.
Glefe
From Ningo, the deputy minister and his entourage visited the Glefe sea defence project and the Glefe township near Dansoman where the government is building a two-kilometre sea defence wall.
Head of the Coastal Division, Ghana Hydrological Authority, Yiadom B. Akoto, told journalists that so far the contractor, Sidalco Group of Companies, had done over 95 per cent of the works which involved a 1.6 kilometre revetment which protected against erosion caused by wave action, storm surge and currents and two groyne structures to protect the remaining 400 metres stretch of coastline.
He said the remaining works to be done were ancillary structures, including drainage works that would tie in with the revetment.
Mr Akoto said since the project was started, it had protected the Glefe community from being washed away by tidal waves, and that he was optimistic that when finally completed the areas beyond Glefe, including Shiabu, would all be spared the impact of the sea waves.
Commitment
During an interview with journalists, Dr Armah reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring the timely completion of ongoing coastal protection projects across the country.
Dr Armah said Ghana has a coastline that spans more than 500 kilometres and out of that 370 kilometres require coastal protection projects.
He said so far the government had built sea defence walls along 80 kilometres, leaving 270 kilometres yet to be done in order to safeguard the shoreline, communities and stay off climate change impacts on historical heritage sites.
He urged contractors to maintain round-the-clock efforts to ensure projects are delivered promptly for the benefit of all Ghanaians.
The deputy minister and his entourage of engineers also made a stopover at La, a few metres from La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, where they witnessed the accelerated erosion being caused by the sea and threatening the main La-Teshie, Nungua road.
Dr Armah said the ministry had made a proposal for a five kilometre sea defence project from La towards the Regional Maritime University in Nungua involving revetment and groyne systems to protect the area from further erosion.
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He said a concept note for the La project had been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance advancing key justification to have that project executed within the revised timelines
Writer’s email: benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh