LAST Saturday, the Ghanaian Times carried a back page story with the headline "Keta residents send SOS to government over tidal waves" in which the residents of Puveme, in the Keta Municipality, are appealing to government to construct a sea defence wall on the eastern side of the Ada estuary.
The appeal followed the destruction of property and the displacement of over 900 inhabitants from the area by tidal waves.
The high tidal waves if not checked, according to the residents, could destroy towns and villages along the eastern coastline from Atiteti through Keta to Aflao.
"The entire coastline from the eastern side would be washed off if nothing is done within six months. The entire Atiteti, Dzita, Atorkor, Savietula, Srogboe Wuti, Anloga, Tegbuie, Woe and Dzelukope, all in the municipality could be wiped off, they claim.
They attributed the current upsurge in the tidal waves to the construction of the Ada sea defence wall, as the force of the sea is affecting the eastern side, in addition to climate change which is affecting most shorelines.
The people in the area who spoke to the Ghanaian Times, proposed as a matter of urgency the construction of a sea defence wall to protect the town and villages along the eastern coastline of the area.
It is worrying that the municipality with a total land surface of 753.1km stretching from the Volta estuary; and about 160km from Accra is facing imminent destruction from tidal waves.
As a matter of records, the municipality is a low-lying coastal plain with the highest point of 53 metres above sea level and the lowest between 1 to 3.5 metres below sea level thereby making it vulnerable to tidal waves and sea erosion.
Indeed some communities along the coast had suffered erosion until the sea defence wall was built to protect the rest of the land.
The current destruction and the fear of other towns and villages being washed away therefore, sends a strong signal to the government to pay attention to the area which has a very large population.
Although, it is mainly an agriculture area, with majority of population engaged in livestock keeping, fishing and other related activities, the area also contributes significantly to the economic development of the country.
It is, therefore, important that the needs of the community are attended to in order to alleviate their suffering which has given them sleepless nights because of constant invasion of their homes by the tidal waves for the past 20 years.
We join the to appeal to the government to save these ancient towns and villages along the eastern coast of the Volta Region and appeal to the municipal assembly to work hand-in-hand with the government to support the people and assist in the mobilisation of fund for the construction of another sea defence wall in the area.
From the reports received, it appears help is yet to get to the area as some of the people still have their belonging left in the open.
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS