TMA clears Tema drains of silt

Della Russel Ocloo Jul - 09 - 2015 , 01:55

The Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) has begun dredging works on choked drains within Tema Community 20 and its environs.

The works followed threats of legal action against the assembly and the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) by aggrieved residents in the area. The residents had demanded that all drains in the area should be made free and that all structures on watercourses must be cleared.

Residents of Communities 18, 19 and 20 suffered devastating consequences from heavy rains that fell on June 3, 2015. A number of homes got flooded and properties running into millions of cedis were destroyed.

The inhabitants also accused the two bodies of failing in their obligations to residents.

"The perennial flooding in the area could be mitigated if the TMA and the TDC had, over the years, collaborated effectively and fulfilled their statutory obligations," the residents’ association noted in its letter of intent to sue the two institutions.

A letter signed by Mr Francis Kwesi Otoo of Dr Ekow Daniels and Co Chambers, solicitors for the residents, and copied to the Minister of Local Government and Works and Housing, indicated that the June 3, 2015 torrential rains caused severe havoc in the community; many residents lost properties running into millions of cedis.

"By your acts of omission, there was an aggravated consequence of the flood on our clients," the petition indicated.

Storm drain

The letter pointed out that the major storm drain that passes through the community, and which directs huge volumes of water from the Akwapim range into the sea had not been cleared of silt for a long time. It said the result was that water could not flow easily, leading to spillovers into their homes each time it rained heavily.