Zoomlion Ghana Limited, in partnership with Channel One TV and the Ghana Police Service, has launched a city-wide sanitation exercise dubbed “Clean Up Accra” as part of renewed efforts to address flooding challenges in the capital.
The exercise focuses on desilting major drains and clearing streets of debris across selected communities to improve sanitation and enhance the free flow of rainwater, particularly during the rainy season.
The initiative covers areas including Circle, Madina, Mempeasem, Mallam, and Weija-Gbawe, where sanitation teams and supporting agencies are working to remove waste from drains and public spaces as part of efforts to reduce flood risks.
Speaking to Citi News, the Head of Communications at Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Emma Osei-Duah, stressed the importance of sustained public discipline in waste management, noting that improper disposal continues to undermine sanitation efforts in Accra.
She explained that the city’s low-lying terrain makes it particularly vulnerable to flooding, as runoff from higher elevations often carries waste into drainage systems.
“Because Accra is low-lying, the waste is pushed by the run-offs from the top of the ridges down to Accra, so if even we clean this place today and we don’t have that attitude of discipline to manage our own generated waste properly, the rains will always drag the debris that we have scattered around and they will be deposited in the lower areas.
“So my encouragement to everybody is that, we can do this everyday here in Accra but if we are not disciplined with our waste management this will always happen,” she said.
Operations Manager for Dredge Masters, Sena Adiepana, also called for stricter enforcement of buffer zones along drains, including the removal of encroachments that obstruct dredging and maintenance works.
He noted that such encroachments continue to hinder efforts to properly maintain drainage systems and mitigate flooding in affected areas.
“We will be heading to Sakumono, Tema and other places where NADMO considers very critical to controlling the flood but it is also important to note that we are faced with key challenges.
“During our exercise, we realised that the buffers that are supposed to be allowed for passage and equipment access in order to easily maintain these drains are not accessible because of encroachment,” he said.
