DCE Urges Chiefs to Stop Selling Waterlogged Lands for Development

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Twifo Atti-Morkwa in the central region, Hon. Isaac Yawson, has appealed to traditional leaders to stop selling waterlogged areas for infrastructural development to help reduce flooding in the district.According to the DCE, although lands belong to traditional authorities, selling flood-prone and waterlogged lands to private developers poses serious environmental and social risks to communities.

Speaking during the two-day National Sanitation Day exercise at Twifo Praso, Hon. Isaac Yawson stated that developers would not be able to build in such areas if chiefs refused to release the land to them. He noted that many of these developments are carried out at night, making it difficult for the District Assembly to identify and arrest offenders.

He explained that whenever the Assembly attempts to demolish structures built in waterlogged areas, affected individuals often blame the Assembly for their losses. Therefore, he stressed that traditional leaders have a major role to play in preventing flooding by protecting such lands from unauthorised development.

District Environmental Health Officer, Mr. Richard Senyo, also warned residents against indiscriminate disposal of waste, stressing that anyone caught littering or dumping waste improperly would be arrested and prosecuted.

The Assembly Member for the Eduabeng-Konyanko Electoral Area, Hon. Latif Adae, appealed to the government to provide logistics and equipment to law enforcement agencies, including local sanitation task forces, to strengthen environmental cleanliness and sanitation activities in various communities.