Imagine walking for days in a desert without water and food with your throat dry and lips virtually cracking while there appears to be no hope of your immediate need in sight.
All anyone in such a situation would long for in the first place will obviously be water to quench their thirst then if possible wish for food.
Studies indicate that one-third of the African population does not have access to drinking water and almost half of the people on the continent have health problems due to the lack of clean drinking water.
Though 75 per cent of the Planet Earth is covered with water which is why it is also referred to as the blue planet.
Humans need water for a variety of things. Aside drinking, cooking, bathing and washing, other activities such as travel, commerce and entertainment also call for the use of water.
To achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals by 2015, aimed at reducing the world population suffering from water shortage by half, the African continent alone, needs at least $12 billion each year to realize this goal.
On the part of Ghana, 78 per cent of the population needs to gain access to potable water before it could attain the MDGs which have a little over five years to reach its target year.
Noble Laureate Mikhail Gorbachev, a former president of the then Soviet Union, once said that “Water, like religion and ideology, has the power to move millions of people.
Since the very birth of human civilization, people have moved to settle close to it. People move when there is too little of it.
People move when there is too much of it. People journey down it. People write, sing and dance about it. People fight over it. And all people everywhere and everyday need it.”
Many in Ghana can not but agree with the noble laureate as after several months of drought, the rains have finally arrived with force, destroying homes, taking lives and leaving crops underwater with over 2000 people feared displaced.
Heavy rainfall in different parts of the country has destroyed lots of property and claimed many human lives.
On Sunday, June 20, Accra, Tema, Sewdru, and some parts of the Western and Central Regions and other towns were hit by a severe downpour of rain.
After over 12 hours of incessant downpour on that day, not only has property been destroyed as about 34 lives have been lost while others are still recuperating in various hospitals across the country.
The rainfall has been described by the Meteorological Services Agency as one of the highest in the country’s history.
Meanwhile, Highways and Roads Minister Joe Gidisu who called the situation a “national crisis” said “never in the last 15 years have we seen this kind of flooding, especially in the Greater Accra Region where roads have been washed away and bridges collapsed, leading to the loss of lives and properties."
Even after four days, Dorothy Danso, a teacher at Kasoa, in the Central Region cannot come to terms with the effects of the torrential rainfall.
Her house has been washed away and a sobering Dorothy looks on helplessly at the debris which is all she has left of her life time investment.
“When can I put up a house of my own again? Why did I have to lose my house as a result of the negligence of the Assembly officials who have not heard our call on them to speed up the construction of drains here?” questioned a tearful Dorothy.
Sections of the Swedru-Winneba road, a major asphalted road that links the two municipalities, were totally destroyed by the floods.
The forceful gashing floodwater destroyed a bridge which cart commuters from both sides while economic activities came to a standstill.
Flooding in Ghana is a perennial problem as each year; the adverse effects of rainfall are felt.
However, over the years, very little has been done to avert the situation.
The coming of the rains and its subsequent flood have left the Metropolitan Assembly officials emboldened to carry out a demolition exercise as it has previously cited buildings on waterways as the main cause of the problem.
Every year, the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies threaten to demolish buildings on water courses. However, they lack the political will to do so.
Following the recent destruction by rainfall, the National Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) has been battling with how to help victims rebuild their lives.
The organization in collaboration with some humanitarian agencies is distributing relief items including food and clothing to victims of the flood.
The military and Red Cross were seen continuing with rescue and evacuation operations in Tema, Ashaima and Kpone, East Accra regions, where over 1,000 buildings were damaged, causing losses to thousands of people.
With other alternative homes being provided for the homeless, the Navy also provided two boats to help ferry people to safety.
According to Ebenezer Dosu, Deputy NADMO Co-ordinator, 200 of the flood victims were provided with alternative accommodation in Swedru, Tema and some parts of Accra.
City authorities are resolute to pursue their decision to pull down all houses in water ways and the Tema Municipal Assembly Public Relations Officer, Frank Asante, confirms that more houses would be demolished as most of the marked buildings “are impediments to the free flow of water.”
Gilbert Boamah, a legal practitioner in Accra obviously supports the authorities as he comments “If we need to clear houses to make it possible for the passage of water during rainfall, we need to do so.”
But it is not all who support the decision. Moses Dartey a resident of Sakomono where a number of houses have been marked with the TMA red paint “to be demolished,” blames the city authorities for failing to monitor and prevent the illegal structures.
To him demolishing the buildings may create new problems and proposes that the water is diverted while proper measures are instituted to prevent the construction of new buildings in water ways.
Those who are likely to be affected by such demolitions demand that they are paid compensations, enough for them to re-settle.
Though many of the houses are in places zoned as flood areas and water courses, some residents claim they were granted building permits by Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, which the authorities say are fake.
But Major (Rtd) Mensah, PRO of NADMO believes there is no need for such compensations since such buildings are not supposed to be sited there in the first place.
“If it is an illegality, then the state cannot be burdened with providing alternative accommodation or land for affected persons.”
The mayor of Accra, Alfred Vanderpuye, says “we cannot allow such impunity to continue.” He insists only individuals who have permits will be compensated, but those without permits will not.
President John Evans Atta Mills who has since visited the affected victims reminded the affected residents that government would not hesitate to demolish structures on waterways, the effect of which puts a larger responsibility on government.
The phenomena had been blamed on the disposal of solid waste in drains as the choked nature of drainage systems are the causes of the floods. Others have proposed the construction of large underground drains.
Though the country is yet to recover from the havoc caused by the floods, forecasts from the Meteorological Services Agency suggest that Ghana will be recording some more torrential rainfalls.
A walk through most parts of the country with the glaring disaster caused by the rain makes anyone hear the old rhythm that kids learn on their fist day at the Kindergarten: rain, rain go away. Go and come another day, little children want to play. Rain, rain, go away.
It is during these times that Kofi Portuphy, NADMO Coordinator, has come under attack after stating that the organization needs about 68 million euro to help it function more effectively. The amount is to acquire equipment that would help “respond more swiftly and properly to disaster.”
Dr. Nii Moi Thompson who openly expressed contrary view to that of the NADMO coordinator’s is rather of the view that government needs to ensure proper and effective planning to avoid the perennial flooding that confronts the nation.
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