A major regional flood control and drainage desilting campaign intensified across Accra on Friday, June 12, as Zoomlion Ghana Limited, NADMO, the Ghana Police Service, and other agencies ramped up efforts ahead of the peak rainy season.
The operation also involves FeDems Group Ltd, Dredge Masters Ghana Ltd, MMDAs, the Ghana National Fire Service, and the National Ambulance Service.
Heavy equipment and hundreds of sanitation personnel have been deployed to flood-prone communities to clear silt, plastics, and debris blocking stormwater flow.
Greater Accra Regional Manager of Zoomlion, Ricky Anokye Frimpong, said the exercise began Wednesday as a three-day emergency intervention targeting drains in high-risk areas.
“From day one, the response exceeded expectations,” he told journalists.
Dredge Masters deployed earth-moving machinery for heavily clogged drains, while FeDems and other teams worked on larger waterways.
Areas covered include Mallam, Weija, Teshie-Nungua, Ayawaso West Wuogon, Dansoman Agege, Kaneshie, Lapaz, Mile 7, and the Ofankor Barrier enclave.
Frimpong said desilting along the Weija corridor has already improved drainage for commuters and residents.
He praised market women and locals who joined the exercise, calling it “growing public awareness and shared responsibility.”
He disclosed that Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, is personally financing the entire initiative.
“He is funding it from the first day to the last. Everything we are doing, he is the one funding it,” Frimpong said, calling it a major humanitarian contribution.
But he warned that engineering alone won’t solve Accra’s floods if indiscriminate dumping continues.
“Many drains built for stormwater are now choked with plastics, sand, and household waste,” he said, urging residents to use approved containers and licensed waste collectors.
Ablekuma West MCE George Kpakpo Allotey said the multi-agency effort has boosted the scale and impact of routine sanitation work.
The combined equipment and expertise allowed crews to clear deep-seated silt that manual labour alone couldn’t handle.
He issued a stern warning to developers and individuals who have built on waterways and drainage reservations.
“We will no longer tolerate activities that endanger public safety. Authorities are prepared to demolish such structures,” he said.
He also cautioned residents against dumping refuse into gutters, warning offenders will face prosecution.
In Ga North, teams cleared severe bottlenecks around the Ofankor Barrier.
Assemblyman Dennis Quarshie called the intervention timely, noting that Ofankor’s low-lying position makes it vulnerable to runoff from surrounding areas.
On sustainability, Frimpong said Zoomlion has assigned officers to all 29 MMDAs in Greater Accra to work with Environmental Health Departments and NADMO to monitor flood-prone zones and coordinate regular maintenance.
He urged assemblies, traditional authorities, and communities to institutionalise periodic desilting, especially with heavier rains forecast.
Stakeholders described the campaign as a model public-private partnership in disaster preparedness.
While clearing drains is critical, they stressed that lasting success depends on public education, responsible waste disposal, and citizen participation.
