Torrential Rain Flood House and Destroy Properties in Kumasi

The heavy downpour of rains in the Ashanti Region is of benefits to others yet its catastrophic effects towards swampy areas is threatening.

Its unpredictable contact is more bullying to human lives especially when guardians are away on trade abandoning the younger ones to take care of the home.

Houses approved and built in watercourses are swallowed up by floods to claim their channel to free flow regardless of asset devastation. The week has witnessed a lot of incidents and lives ceased because of the muscle of the torrential rains.

Among victims who have suffered the wrath of rains in the capital of the Ashanti Region is Mr. Samuel Acquah, a resident of Anyaano, Moshie Zongo.

His house with the number, plot 34, block C on Monday was taken over by flood, which almost drowned his wife and destroyed many properties. The house is located in a water-logged area guided by a wall and a trench for the rains to run its course.

According to the property owner, such a disaster has never occurred since he raised the building for 20 years now.

“The area is within walking distance of water bodies though it is not a distraction to inhabitants here. The watercourse has its allocation therefore; it makes it difficult to cause any disaster,” he said.

He spoke that the water channel has been occupied by a church building, which has dislocated its course towards his home.

‘When the plan was initiated to put up the church, we reported it to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA). They sent out men to inspect the place. In fact, the pastor was told not to proceed due to the distraction it will create for other houses around. All of a sudden, we works begun and the building put up. I am a traveler and didn’t have much time to seek for answers from KMA”.

Mr. Acquah narrated that the barricade sanctions the water to break at the back of his wall seeking for a progression to run through. Through the continuous soaking of the wall, it finally collapsed the fence, took a new path pushing through the house and occupied rooms wrecking properties and endangering lives.

“Everything in my room has been wrecked. Television, fridge, clothings of my family, laptop and even mattress which made it difficult for us to find a place to lay our head. My wife almost got drown in the situation. She was lucky to escape with the help of a few people who came around in my absence,” he said.

He again revealed that a gutter infront of the house has also been clogged following an erection of a house entrance which creates a water log in the area.

On a visit to the location of the house, the water has overflowed into the bedroom, corridor, halls and kitchen putting the entire house into ruins.

“We (property owners in the rea) are taking basic steps to create a runway for the water in order to prevent this disaster from happening. I am entreating the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) to please come to our aid and channel the front gutter into the main watercourse which has also experienced dumping of waste by residents”

“Government should please help us to remove clogged items from the water course to freely descend without broadening to threaten lives,” he pleaded.

The wife of Mr. Aquah testified to her husband’s story and called for government’s assistance.