President John Dramani Mahama, has called for sustained national clean-up exercises to tackle flooding, stressing that years of silt accumulation in drains have significantly reduced their capacity to carry water.
Speaking during the National Clean-Up Exercise at Tse Addo on Friday, July 10, 2026, the President commended residents for participating and pointed to poor drainage maintenance as a major cause of flooding.
“I thank all the residents who have come out to support this exercise. Clearly, we can see the cause of the problem. We have just desilted this drain, and it is obvious that the sand did not accumulate in just one year. It means the drain has been silting up for many years, reducing its capacity to carry water,” he said.
President Mahama also cautioned against the practice of leaving dredged silt by the roadside, noting that rainfall often washes it back into the drains.
“In the past, when we carried out clean-up exercises like this, we removed the silt and left it by the roadside. When it rained, it was washed back into the drains. This time, let’s make sure that after removing the silt, we provide enough trucks to transport and dispose of it at the appropriate sites,” he stated.
According to the President, consistently desilting drains over the next one to two years will restore their full capacity and improve water flow.
“If we are able to do this over the next year or two, the drains will have enough capacity to carry water effectively because they are currently half-silted, which has reduced the volume of water they can handle,” he added.
President Mahama further praised Ghanaians for their massive participation in the nationwide exercise, describing the turnout as encouraging.
“I want to congratulate all Ghanaians who came out today. I have gone around the city, and the turnout has been very impressive. After this exercise, the military and other security services will dredge the main waterways so these drains will have proper outlets to channel water into the wetlands.”
He announced that the clean-up campaign would become a continuous nationwide initiative, with exercises scheduled at least once every month.
“This will be a continuous exercise. At least once every month, let’s set aside one day for all of us to come together to clean our city. With the support of waste management companies, we will be able to keep the city clean and reduce flooding,” he said.
