AMA Begins Operation Clear Choked Drains

The Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council and the Accra Metropolitan Authority (AMA) on Saturday launched its Operation Clear Choked Drains in the Metropolis, as a preventive mechanism against flooding. Mr Julius Debrah, the Greater Accra Regional Minister and Mr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuiye, AMA Chief Executive Officer joined personnel from the Ghana Police Service, the Fire Service and a cross section of the public to participate in the six-hour clean-up. The clean-up exercise, which would be periodic in Accra, is also geared towards the face-lifting of the capital in conformity with its Millennium City Project (MCP). The World Bank in 2011 supported the AMA MCP with US$3,860,000.00; the AMA has projected US$7.5, 000,000 for the completion of the entire project aimed at making life comfortable for the people in Ghana�s largest metropolis. The clean-up operation is also to get the people involved in the process of transforming the city to hasten the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.The exercise forms part of the Strong Environmental Sanitation Control, which would be rendered in the various communities to ensure cleanliness in homes. Mr Vanderpuiye called for public support to clean the drains to ensure that �our drains are not filled with solid material�. He said the dredging of the Korle Lagoon forms part of the exercise to prepare the grounds for the major take off of the city�s project. He thanked the Regional Minister for mobilising the security services, especially the Ghana National Fire Service, the Police Service and the general public for coming out in their numbers to join in the clean-up exercise. Mr Debrah said it is in the interest of the Regional coordinating council to coordinate with local governments such as the AMA and the districts assemblies to maintain the decongestion exercise to keep the city clean. He said the AMA and the Ministry is working out modalities to bring back the communal labour clean-up programmes in all communities and the entire country. Mr Debrah said this will ensure the healthiness of the people and also prevent the outbreak of diseases such as cholera and malaria.