Policy analyst and engineer Kosi Dedey has blamed weak enforcement of planning and building regulations for the recurring floods in Accra, insisting that municipal assemblies must take greater responsibility for developments within their jurisdictions.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Big Issue on Saturday, May 30, Mr Dedey argued that the flooding challenge cannot be resolved through drainage projects alone, stressing that maintenance and strict enforcement of existing laws are equally critical.
According to him, key regulations, including the Building Regulations, L.I. 2465, and the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016, were enacted to guide infrastructure development and prevent unplanned construction that contributes to flooding.
He noted that despite the existence of these laws, enforcement remains weak, allowing developments to proceed without adequate consideration for drainage capacity and stormwater management.
He therefore criticised assemblies for claiming ignorance of developments taking place under their watch, arguing that such excuses are unacceptable given their planning and regulatory responsibilities.
“The municipal assembly has to be innovative in prescribing what needs to be done to prevent flooding. So when the municipal assembly is not being innovative, then you end up with the crisis we are seeing in Accra,” he lamented.
