Ghana has begun reclaiming the Lafa water retention basin in Mallam, a suburb of the capital Accra, as part of a renewed government effort to reduce flooding in communities including Mallam, Weija and Dansoman.
The operation is being led by the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, which has been deployed to clear years of accumulated solid waste and silt, as well as remove illegal structures and other encroachments that have significantly reduced the basin’s ability to retain stormwater.
The reclamation works include dredging the basin, transporting waste to a designated landfill, demolishing illegal structures located within the water reserve and constructing protective embankments.
The intervention is being coordinated by the government’s Post-Flood Mitigation Task Force and forms part of a wider effort to restore waterways and drainage channels across Accra following devastating floods on June 29.
The government said it had made equipment and other resources available for the operation, while similar flood mitigation works are continuing in other parts of the capital, including Oyarifa, East Legon and the Kpeshie Lagoon area.
Accra has experienced recurring flooding in recent years, with rapid urban development, poor drainage, the dumping of waste into waterways and encroachment on wetlands and water retention areas frequently identified as major contributing factors.
Authorities are urging residents to cooperate with the task force and refrain from activities that block waterways or undermine efforts to reduce flood risks.
The Lafa basin reclamation is part of the government’s broader campaign to improve flood resilience and restore critical drainage infrastructure across the capital under the Resetting Ghana initiative.
