The Ga East Municipal Assembly will begin demolishing structures on waterways in parts of the municipality after Thursday, July 16, as part of efforts to reduce the risk of flooding.

The exercise follows recent floods in one of the municipality’s communities that claimed 11 lives and caused extensive damage.

Briefing the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, the Environmental Health Officer of the Ga East Municipal Assembly, Ing. Charles Asabreh, said residents occupying the affected areas had been given until July 16 to vacate.

He said the assembly had already undertaken several interventions to improve drainage and minimise the likelihood of future flooding.

“We have taken a lot of steps to deal with the aftermath of the flooding we experienced the last time. As an assembly, we have done some desilting and dredging of some streams in the area.

“We have also cleared our culverts to allow the water to flow. We have also done a lot of evacuation of waste. There is a lot we have to do, so we are going to continue,” he said.

Ing. Asabreh said the assembly had identified an area heavily occupied by squatters on waterways and had marked the structures for demolition.

“But more importantly, there is an area with a lot of squatters, so as part of the efforts, and to ensure that we do not experience the flood again, we have marked the place for demolition, and we have asked them to move by Thursday for the place to be demolished,” he said.

The planned demolition forms part of the assembly’s broader flood prevention strategy, which includes dredging streams, desilting drains, clearing culverts and removing waste to improve the free flow of stormwater.

The Local Government Minister’s visit comes as authorities intensify efforts to strengthen flood preparedness following recent heavy rains that affected several communities in the Greater Accra Region.

Municipal authorities have repeatedly warned against building on waterways, saying such developments obstruct natural drainage channels, increase flood risks and endanger lives and property.