The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has mobilized communities around the Salaga Market in the Ashiedu Keteke Sub-Metropolitan District to desilt their choked drains to mitigate the risks of flooding and its associated health hazards when it rains. 

The clean-up campaign, spearheaded by the Waste Management Department of the AMA, sought to among other things court the support of community members in identifying and cleaning chocked drains in their neighbourhoods.

The exercise which was under the auspices of the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) project, began in the early hours of 6.00 am on Saturday 16th March, with awareness creation campaigns and sensitization on the bye-laws to enlighten residents on the dangers of littering and the essence practice good sanitation. 

Deputy Director of Waste Management at the AMA, Victor Kotey said the accumulation of solid waste and debris in drainage channels poses a significant challenge to the city's infrastructure, causing flooding when it rains.  

 He emphasized the need for concerted measures at the grassroots level to address the perineal flooding in the city urging members of the community to stop dumping refuse into drains and engage the services of accredited waste management companies.

."We cannot afford to ignore the importance of keeping our drains clear, especially as we approach the rainy season... By mobilizing communities to take ownership of their surroundings, we can significantly reduce the risk of flooding while mitigating the effects of climate change in the city.  

"People must change their attitude and stop dumping their waste into the drains to help address flooding in the city, " he said.

He advised members of the community to report any illegal dumping activities to foster a culture of environmental stewardship and community engagement,  to create a sustainable and resilient city for current and future generations.

He added that the AMA would as part of the exercise deploy teams of sanitation workers as well as  Labour machines to the community to thoroughly disilt the drains to the satisfaction of authorities to complement the efforts of residents.  

Mrs. Ama Biney, a resident in the community welcomed the initiative, expressing their readiness to actively participate in the clean-up efforts and thanked the AMA for involving and engaging the community to address the problem of choked drains.

"It's encouraging to see the authorities taking proactive steps to address this issue... As residents, we have a responsibility to ensure that our environment is clean and safe for everyone, " she said while expressing how glad it was to be part of the initiative."

Present at the exercise were the Public Health Director of AMA, Florence Kuukyi, Director for Ashiedu Keteke Sub-Metro, Mercy Odoi and representatives from GARID among others.