The Greater Accra Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has given operators of several beachfront nightclubs, eateries and hospitality facilities at Laboma Beach in the La Dadekotopon Municipality a 21-day ultimatum to vacate areas identified as buffer zones of the Kpeshie Lagoon or face forced demolition.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ocloo, who led the REGSEC team to serve the notices, said the affected facilities had been constructed within areas designated to serve as buffer zones for the lagoon.
She explained that the encroachment was contributing to flooding in the area by restricting the natural flow and retention of stormwater.
The facilities named in the exercise include Pink Flamingo, ULA Beach Club, Trophy, Bliss Escape, Amsterdam Kitchen, Si Beach Resort and Alora Beach Resort.
Background
The latest action forms part of renewed efforts by authorities in the Greater Accra Region to reclaim wetlands, waterways and flood-control areas that have been encroached upon by buildings and other developments.
The Kpeshie Lagoon and its surrounding wetlands form part of the natural drainage system in the coastal area of Accra. Such wetlands provide important space for stormwater to collect, settle and gradually discharge towards the sea.
However, rapid urban development, construction along waterways, siltation and the conversion of wetland areas for commercial and recreational activities have increasingly reduced the capacity of some drainage systems to accommodate excess water during heavy rainfall.
The issue has become particularly significant following flooding incidents recorded in parts of Greater Accra, including areas around Laboma and other low-lying communities.
Authorities have consequently intensified calls for the removal of structures that obstruct waterways and the enforcement of planning and environmental regulations governing wetlands and buffer zones.
The REGSEC exercise at Laboma Beach is therefore not only targeted at the affected hospitality facilities but forms part of a wider attempt to restore the capacity of waterways and wetlands to manage stormwater and reduce the risk of flooding.
Earlier Warnings
Mrs Ocloo said some developers had been warned against continuing with their projects while their buildings were still at the foundation stage, but ignored the directives and proceeded with construction.
She questioned whether some of the affected developers had the necessary permits to construct in the area.
According to her, the 21-day notice requires the occupants to voluntarily demolish and remove their structures.
She warned that if they failed to comply, REGSEC would undertake the demolition and recover the cost from the affected owners.
The minister also cautioned that anyone who attempted to resist the exercise could be arrested.
Security Support
Mrs Ocloo disclosed that some officials of the assembly had previously struggled to enforce compliance because they were sometimes overpowered by occupants and developers on site.
She said the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, together with a flood task force, had therefore been brought in to support the exercise.
REGSEC, she said, would continue to provide the necessary security backing as authorities worked to reclaim the lagoon’s buffer zone.
She added that the team would assess the area to determine the extent of the encroachment and identify structures that had been constructed within the buffer zone.
The buffer zone, she explained, was necessary to allow floodwater to settle and gradually flow towards the sea.
The Ghana Hydrological Authority is also expected to assess the extent of encroachment on the Kpeshie Lagoon and its buffer zones to determine the amount of space required for water retention, particularly during the rainy season.
“We cannot sit aloof to lose the wetlands,” Mrs Ocloo said.
Government Plans Dredging
The Political Coordinator for the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, Anthony Nukpenu, said government would reclaim space around the water retention area and a heavily silted section of the waterway ahead of dredging works.
He said occupants whose buildings were directly obstructing the waterway had been notified to begin removing their properties.
Mr Nukpenu added that boulders obstructing the waterway would also be removed to improve the flow of water.
He attributed part of the flooding recorded in June to an obstruction that prevented water from flowing properly through the rear section of a bridge in the area.
He further stated that the Lands Commission had not rezoned the area for residential or recreational purposes, insisting that the site remained part of the lagoon.
Flooding and Wetland Protection
The authorities’ intervention highlights the growing concern over the impact of uncontrolled development on Greater Accra’s drainage and flood-management systems.
Environmental and planning experts have repeatedly warned that wetlands and waterways must be protected because they provide natural channels for excess water during heavy rainfall.
When these areas are filled, narrowed or blocked by structures, water can be forced into surrounding communities, increasing the risk of flooding and property damage.
The government is therefore expected to combine the demolition and removal of structures with dredging, desilting and the enforcement of planning regulations to restore the natural flow of water.
The Laboma exercise is expected to determine the full extent of the encroachment and pave the way for further action to protect the Kpeshie Lagoon and its surrounding wetlands.
The exercise forms part of broader efforts by the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council and its security partners to reclaim wetlands and waterways and reduce the risk of flooding in vulnerable communities.
Story by Stephen Kwaku Owusu Mintah/Ahotoronline/Accra