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The Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye has said the government has seen the urgent need to permanently address issues of tidal waves in coastal areas of the country.
This comes following last weekend unfortunate incident in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region where over thousands of people were displaced when tidal waves from the sea swept through homes and destroyed properties.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Hon Asenso-Boakye stated that, the incident has plunged the government to urgently address the devastating effects of tidal waves in the affected towns of Agavedzi, Salakope, and Amutsinu communities in the Ketu South Constituency.
As part of measures to curb such devastating incidences in coastal areas in the country, Hon. Asenso-Boakye revealed that government has noted the sense of urgency to commence the second phase of the coastal protection project.[ads1]
“The Ministry of Works and Housing
(Government) notes the sense of urgency for undertaking the second phase of the project to protect Adina, Agavedzi, Salakope, and
Amutsinu communities and others to the east of Blekusu. To this end, the Ministry is commenced urgent steps to implement the second phase of the project. The Ministry has finalized the Evaluation of the relevant proposal to start the works under the second phase of the project”, he said.
“It is important to note that in April 2021, a technical team from the Hydrological Services Department of the Ministry, upon my directive, travelled to the affected communities to engage the Municipal Chief Executive of Ketu South Municipal Assembly and some community leaders on the matter of the implementation of the second phase of the project. I have also had the opportunity to visit these communities, together with the technical team from the Ministry and the Hydrological Services Department, in June this year, to have a first-hand understanding of the situation”, Hon. Asenso-Boakye added.[ads4]
He reiterated that the completion of the works envisaged under the second phase of the project will cover a minimum coastal stretch of 8,000 metres (8 kilometres) and will surely ensure the total protection of the people of Agavedzi, Salakope, and Amutsinu communities and other affected communities within the Constituency that continue to bear the brunt of this occasional disasters.
He said the scope of works under the second phrase of Blekusu Coastal Protection Project (Phase 2) entails the construction of 37
armour rock groynes, with land reclamation, to protect eight (8) kilometres of coastal stretch.[ads1]
On funding for the project, the Works and Housing Minister disclosed that his outfit is currently engaging the Ministry of Finance to raise the needed funding for the implementation of the second phase.
He said in addition to protecting lives
and properties, the works under the Blekusu Coastal Protection Project (Phase 2) will protect the beaches and its environs against encroachment by the sea, arrest the current environmental deterioration, mitigate the social and economic consequences of beach erosion, and strengthen the economic and production base of the area through enhanced fishing activities.
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