Building on wetlands: Roads and Highways Minister unhappy with officials of district assemblies

The Minister for Roads and Highways, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has expressed concern over failure by city authorities to deal with the menace of building in waterlogged areas.

Mr Asenso-Boakye argued that the unlawful act, which causes flooding is not only posing threat to lives but undermining his Ministry’s effort in trying to fix roads within the Kumasi metropolis and its environs.

The Minister raised the issue when he inspected ongoing road works on the Dakodwom-TUC-Santasi stretch.

The road has been reconstructed several times because it keeps deteriorating at a fast rate.

This has been blamed on the encroachment on the shoulders of the road, classified as waterlogged, which forces rainwater to remain on the road for a long time.

“By our laws, we are not supposed to build in waterlogged areas. They’re reserved to contain rainwater and prevent flooding. It is however worrying to see buildings springing up in this area, haphazardly. The district assemblies have the power to issue or deny building permits considering the location. All these inactions on the part of the assembly are affecting the work of government. Nobody should be allowed to build on waterways,” Mr Asenso-Boakye said.

Government is working to dualize the stretch to ease the traffic situation and reduce travel time.

But Asenso-Boakye fears the investment may go waste if officials of the assemblies do not take immediate steps to stop people from building within the waterlogged section.

“This work that we’ve done is a major intervention and it will help ease traffic on this stretch. But if we don’t take care, in some few months the road will start deteriorating with these kinds of developments going on in the waterways. The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly must be up and doing,” he urged.

Reacting to the Minister’s concern, the Chief Executive Officer of Kumasi metropolis, Samuel Pyne said “the developers have provided their lease so we gave them some benchmark; things they must do to take the water off the road. They’re yet to meet that requirement so we’ve not issued them permit. We’ve asked them to stop work, and I will ensure they construct drainages to prevent water from staying on the road before they continue with their work”.

The Roads and Highways Minister also inspected ongoing road works at Oforikrom, Bantama, Kwabre East, Ejisu, Kwadaso, and Nhyiaeso.

 

The post Building on wetlands: Roads and Highways Minister unhappy with officials of district assemblies first appeared on 3News.

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