Dredge Masters Ltd has since February 2019 silted over one million cubic meters of waste materials from the Odaw River and Korle Lagoon to pave way for water flow.
This was disclosed by the Hydrological Engineer of Dredge Masters Ltd, Ing.Wise Ametefe when the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo today visited the company in Accra to ascertain progress of work in dredging the Odaw River to give way for free flow of storm water to avoid flooding.
Nana Addo was happy when Managing Director of the company Captain Khan took him through pictorial designs by Dredge Masters to overhaul the Odaw River and Korle Lagoon into a modern beautiful asset which will attract tourists and business activities in the city of Accra.
The company was busy with their equipment evacuating debris of waste in the river in order for water to flow freely.
Dredge Masters begun operations in June 2016, a year after the June 3 disaster at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle claiming several lives and property with a two-year contract awarded by the government under John Dramani Mahama for the desilting and dredging of the Odaw channel and restoration of the Korle Lagoon to avert the perennial flooding in Accra under the Accra Sanitary Sewer Storm Drainage Alleviation Project.
H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo renewed the contract for another two years beginning from February this year which scope of work included the redesign and construction of the KLERP interceptor and breakwater at the outfall.
The channel under the scope starts from the Odaw Onyasia confluence at Carprice in Accra, through Avenor, Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, Agbogbloshie, South Kaneshie drain and, the Upper and Lower Lagoon.
Operations Manager of Dredge Masters, Ing. Sena Adiepena said works under the initial contract was completed in March 2017 as designs on civil works are still ongoing.
He said since the renewal of the contract, over 1 million cubic meters of dredged materials was removed from the channel and lagoon.
Prior to the commencement of dredging operations, Ing. Adiepena recalled encroachers and squatters along the drains had to be removed with assistance from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and the Ghana Police Service. He commended AMA for their support.
Adiepena said Dredge Masters Limited is working around the clock i.e. day and night to restore the drainage efficiency and holding capacity of the channel and lagoon to avert any flooding in this year’s rainy season.
Source: Thepressradio.com /Dickson Boadi
