Ga East Assembly to demolish structures on waterways

The Ga East Municipal Assembly has announced that it will begin demolishing structures built on waterways in parts of the municipality after Thursday, July 16, as part of measures to reduce the risk of flooding.

The exercise follows recent flooding in one of the municipality’s communities, which claimed 11 lives and caused significant destruction.

Speaking during a briefing with the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, the Assembly’s Environmental Health Officer, Ing. Charles Asabreh, said residents occupying the affected areas had been given until July 16 to vacate.

He explained that the Assembly had already implemented several flood mitigation measures aimed at improving drainage and preventing a recurrence of the disaster.

According to Ing. Asabreh, the Assembly has undertaken desilting and dredging of streams, cleared culverts to improve water flow, and intensified waste removal operations across the municipality.

He said those interventions would continue as part of broader efforts to strengthen flood prevention.

Ing. Asabreh also disclosed that authorities had identified a section of waterways occupied by squatters and had marked the structures for demolition.

He said the occupants had been directed to move out by Thursday to allow the demolition exercise to proceed.

The demolition forms part of the Assembly’s wider flood control strategy, which includes dredging watercourses, desilting drains, clearing blocked culverts and removing waste to improve the flow of stormwater.

The Local Government Minister’s visit comes as government agencies step up flood preparedness measures in the wake of recent heavy rains that affected several communities across the Greater Accra Region.

Municipal authorities have consistently cautioned residents against building on waterways, warning that such developments obstruct natural drainage systems, heighten the risk of flooding and pose a threat to lives and property.