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NADMO Director
visits flood disaster areas in Upper East
Bolgatanga, Sept 11, GNA - Regional
Coordinating Councils (RCC), Metropolitan, Municipal and
District Assemblies (MMDAs) have been urged to incorporate
disaster management plans into their development projects.
The Director of the National Disaster Management
Organization (NADMO), Mr. Kofi Portuphy made the call at a
meeting with the Upper East RCC and head of departments, to
find out the extent of damage caused by the recent flood
that hit parts of the region.
Mr Portuphy was in the region with disaster assessment team
made up of NADMO personnel, meteorologists, hydrologists,
Town and Country Planning officials and medical personnel
among others to assess the situation.
He stressed that RCCs and MMDAs should come out with
comprehensive management disaster programmes to enable them
to effectively prevent disasters.
Mr. Portuphy said that a rescue team made up of 48 personnel
of the Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces and NADMO
Rapid Response Team, based in Walewale in the Northern
Region was ready to swiftly deal with emergency situations
in the Northern, Upper West and Upper East.
He expressed concern about conditions at the remote areas
popularly known as “”the oversees”” like Yagba and Kobori in
the Northern Region where it was very difficult to reach out
to disaster victims and said an arrangement had been made to
acquire a helicopter to convey food items and medicines to
them.
Mr Portuphy expressed fear that there could be epidemic in
the disaster areas because some toilet facilities there had
been submerged under water and but said NADMO had a
professional team to handle the situation.
Mr. Portuphy said some members of the team that accompanied
on his visit would remain in the Upper East region to
ascertain the level of damage caused by flood so that
government could find ways of solving the problem.
According to the NADMO Director, some relief items including
food, clothing, blankets and cups were being dispatched from
NADMO office in Accra for distribution to the victims.
Briefing the NADMO Director, the Acting Regional Director of
Agriculture, Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Razaaq, said crops
including rice, soya beans and millet were washed away by
the flood whilst others were still submerged under water.
Mr. Gerson G Agordo, Upper East Regional Maintenance Manager
of Ghana Highways Authority (GHA), said some of the roads
and bridges in the area had been destroyed, rendering the
roads unmotorable.
The Regional Manager of Water and Sanitation, Mr. Emmanuel
Adii said many boreholes had also been destroyed by the
flood and sources of drinking water polluted which could
cause water born related diseases.
Dr Kokou Awoonor-Williams, Upper East Regional Director of
Health Services, said that most community-based health
centres had collapsed and urged the authorities to supply
medicine including Oral Rehydration Salt and anti-snake bite
serum and other logistics to the Service for emergency
cases.
The Upper East Deputy Regional Minister, Mrs. Lucy Awuni and
the Regional Maintenance Manager of Ghana highways Authority
accompanied the Director of NADMO to Builsa District one of
the most affected area.
The Deputy Minister commended the Director of NADMO and his
team for their quick response to the flood situation.
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