Keta: Residents Stranded As Sea Covers Land

In the early part of this year, residents along the Keta Coastal areas suffered what can be described as coastal erosion as the sea waves swept and covered about a 1km tarred road in the district. The incident affected the lives of about 34,000 residents according to the assemblyman of the area, Hon. Brass Dedzo, who spoke to the media. The sea sand virtually covered the entire 1km tarred road from Atorkor to Anyanui affecting several villages along the coastal belt. The villages includes; Agbledomi, Anyanui and Dzita which are all about 100 metres away from the sea shore thereby making it impossible for the residents to commute from one area to the other. Speaking during a tour of the affected communities, the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Hon. Albert Abongo, said there was a need for immediate measures to be taken. In the mean while, he said, the Ministry of Roads and Transport will be contacted to immediately see how best the communities can be rescued. �There has to be immediate measures, as the sea could erode most of the communities, there should be an alternative route for them and we have to impress on government to make funds available to save the lives of these people,� he said. Meanwhile, according to the sector minister, engineers have surveyed the area to suggest ways to solve the problem in a short term whilst a long term solution is being planned. �I learnt initially leaders in the community made available stones and gravel to help control the sea waves but I have been told residents have selfishly used them for their personal interest, but for that I don�t think the situation would have this bad,� he added. On his part, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Keta Constituency, Hon. Kofi Hamado, said assembly members have already met with the chiefs to find ways to divert a small portion of the road to make it motorable. �Bulldozers are going to be made available to clear a portion of the road which will be graveled with stones�we are also seeking a small budget allocation for the ministry to help us with this�because there is a problem of transporting food to nearby towns since most towns depend on us as a farming community,� he said. He added that there is a huge possibility of water and power cable lines laid before the road was constructed rusting and becoming worthless as a result of the coastal erosion and this could affect the supply of water and power to the inhabitants of these coastal communities. The sea erosion which affected West African countries along the Coastal belt saw Ghana as the most affected. A coastal protection like the Keta Sea Defence wall, according to Hon. Albert Abongo, will be the best solution and long term alternative for the communities which have been experiencing this over a long period.