A two-day nationwide post-flood clean-up exercise begins today, Friday, July 10, as the government intensifies efforts to restore communities affected by the recent devastating floods and reduce the risk of future disasters.
The exercise, which will run through Saturday, July 11, is being coordinated under the auspices of the Post-Flood Mitigation Committee and will take place across the seven regions impacted by the floods that claimed lives, displaced residents and destroyed property.
The initiative is being undertaken under the theme, “Our Actions, Our Future: Cleaning Ghana after the floods,” and is expected to focus on desilting drains, clearing refuse from waterways, removing debris and improving environmental sanitation in vulnerable communities.
President John Dramani Mahama has directed all government appointees, including Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), Chief Executive Officers of state institutions and heads of public agencies to leave their offices and join residents in the exercise.
Government says the clean-up campaign forms part of broader measures aimed at preventing a recurrence of the flooding incidents that affected thousands of households and caused extensive damage to infrastructure and livelihoods in several parts of the country.
Residents, market women, transport operators, community groups and civil society organisations have all been encouraged to actively participate in the exercise as authorities seek to promote collective responsibility towards sanitation and flood prevention.
In Accra, markets and shops are expected to remain closed during the period to allow traders and business owners to take part in the clean-up activities, with security agencies expected to assist in enforcing compliance with the directive.
