Business activities in some parts of Weija in the Ga South District of the Greater Accra Region have come to a halt due to the spillage of the Weija Dam.
The spillage was necessary to reduce the pressure on the dam following excessive rain in the hilly areas of the Eastern Region.
On a visit to the place days after the spillage the DAILY HERITAGE saw that some shops had closed down due to excessive flooding.
The paper also found out that some of the residents had been rendered jobless because the flood waters had consumed their businesses.
In an interview with the paper, Mr Francis Ohene, a cement block manufacturer, said the water from the dam had disrupted business activities in the area.
He said this year’s spillage had really affected them and lamented that there were no signs of improvement as the flood waters had not yet receded.
He said the absence of business activities at the place had affected their finances because people could not come them to patronise their services.
“Because of the bad conditions I had to get a truck to convey all the cement in the storeroom to prevent the cement from getting caked,” he told the paper.
Mr Ohene, who doubles as a caretaker of a fitting shop in the affected area, explained that the water had washed away some of their property, which, according to him, had deepened their economic woes.
“Sometimes it doesn’t only flood the cars and engines we are working on, but it also pushes away some of our items,” he said.
He continued; “Even the workers around who sleep at the workshop stay awake throughout the night to avoid being carried away.”
Mr Ohene pleaded with the government to help resolve the problem permanently and suggested that, “they should excavate the other side of the river bank which flows into the sea to allow easy flow of the river even if the dam is opened.”
Background
So far, a number of communities in the catchment area of the Weija Dam have been submerged, following the recent spillage of the dam by the Ghana Water Company Limited.
Communities such as Tetegu, Oblogo, Pambros Salt, Lower MaCarthy Hills, Weija, Bojo Beach, Ada Kokpe , Glefe and Opetekwei have been inundated.
Residents have refused to adhere to many warnings to evacuate the area, since they are located on a water course and in areas that serve as buffer between the dam and places that could be inhabited.
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