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The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has rolled out preventive strategies to forestall disasters ahead of the heavy rains expected this month.

Among others, the organisation has embarked on a media sensitisation campaign in the broadcast media and printed leaflets for distribution to junior high schools (JHSs) as part of a public sensitisation exercise on the prevention of disasters.

Preparedness

Interacting with the Daily Graphic in Accra on the preparedness of NADMO towards the expected rains, the acting Director of Public Relations of the organisation, Mr Kweku D. De Graft, said NADMO had deployed its zonal officers from the districts and regions to sensitise the communities they served to put in place preventive measures.

He added that officials of NADMO had appeared on various broadcast platforms, both television and radio, to educate the public on the need to put in place preventive measures during the peak rainy periods.

The director stated that the disaster management body had identified some flood prone areas and had, therefore, put necessary measures in place to ensure that such areas did not suffer crisis as it happened in the past.

Additionally, he said NADMO, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), had developed brochures on flood and fire safety tips for distribution to students in the JHSs to help propagate the message.

For his part, the Director for Research and Applied Meteorologist, Mr Charles Kweku Yorke, said it was the peak of the rainy season and more rains were expected this month.

He told the Daily Graphic that the coastal regions would record more torrential rains and, therefore, asked the public to prepare ahead to avoid disasters.

Relief

On the issue of relief items for victims of disaster this year, should there be any, the Director of Public Relations explained that the distribution of such items was based on need and, therefore, was not automatic for all victims.

He explained further that the focus of NADMO was on prevention and mitigation to lessen the effects of disasters on victims and advised people living in low lying areas to relocate to high rise places to avoid any crisis during the peak of the rainy season.

Mr De Graft advised the public to stay away from flood waters to avoid being electrocuted and asked flood victims returning to their homes after the floods had receded to disinfect their homes to prevent diseases

Background

On June 3, 2015, torrential rainfall caused floods in parts of Accra, including the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, where a fuel station explosion claimed 159 lives and caused considerable damage to property.

Improper planning of settlements, choked gutters which block the drainage system, among other human factors, were identified to have caused the floods

Generally, floods in Accra result in heavy traffic on the roads and also bring business activities to a halt as markets get flooded and workers get stranded.

Against that background, Mr De Graft said the Odaw River which often overflowed its banks during heavy rains had been dredged ahead of the rains and that an operations team from NADMO would be on standby to respond to emergency situations.

He added that as part of the preparations, men from the organisation had held a simulation exercise to put them in readiness for action.

Daily Graphic