Heavy construction activities cause of Kumasi floods

Local governance expert and Planner, Ing. Issaka Amon-Kotei, has identified heavy construction activities in the Kumasi metropolis as the cause of floods in the city last week Thursday.

According to him, it is a normal occurrence for heavy construction activities to cause flooding in an area.

Explaining the cause of the situation, Amon-Kotei told Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show: “Ashanti region does not have lowlands as the Greater Accra. The city has a mixture of high and low lands. Adum is not a place that should flood but I think something went wrong with the 2nd phase construction of the Kejetia market. But it is normal.

During heavy construction, there is diversion of the waterway that blocks the waterway and that causes the flood. If the issue is not followed up, we will be having even bigger problems”.

The planner advised the various assemblies to enforce the building codes which ensures that buildings “trap” rainwater rather than allow it to cause havoc.

Last week Thursday, the entire ground floor of the newly built Kejetia Market was submerged after heavy rains.

Thousands of traders were displaced as goods worth millions of Cedis were destroyed.

Parts of Adum within the Central Business District got flooded after the over 4-hour rains in Kumasi.

Commuters were stranded as access routes from town to various destinations were unmotorable.