Work has commenced to reclaim the Lafa water retention basin at Mallam in Accra as part of the government’s ongoing effort to mitigate flooding in Mallam, Weija, Dansoman and surrounding communities in the Greater Accra Region.
The 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces is leading the operation to remove years of accumulated solid waste, silt and illegal encroachments that have significantly reduced the basin’s capacity.
The 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces is a specialised combat engineer unit of the Ghana Armed Forces based in Teshie, Accra.
The unit's core duties include disaster response, through the execution of emergency flood rescue and evacuation missions,
infrastructure and Mitigation such as clearing waterways, dredging basins, and removing illegal structures to curb seasonal flooding in Accra.
It is also a combat readiness unit that supports joint military exercises and land combat firepower demonstrations.
The ongoing exercise at the Lafa water retention basin as shown in the attached photos, includes dredging, evacuation of waste to a designated landfill site, demolition of illegal structures within the water reserve, and the construction of protective embankments.
The intervention, being coordinated by the Post-Flood Mitigation Task Force, forms part of a broader national effort to restore waterways and drainage channels across Accra following the devastating June 29, 2026 floods.
A statement from the Presidency said the government has made resources and equipment available for the exercise, with further works ongoing at Oyarifa, East Legon and the Kpeshie Lagoon area.
The public is urged to cooperate with the taskforce and desist from activities that obstruct waterways and undermine flood mitigation efforts.
