Flooding in parts of Accra following the spillage of the Weija Dam is largely the result of human activities and weak enforcement of planning regulations, the Communications Director of Ghana Water Limited has said.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Friday (29 May), Stanley Martey defended the decision to open the dam’s spill gates, warning that failure to release excess water could have led to catastrophic consequences.
“If we do not throw the excess water from the dam, the dam will break — and the consequences will be more disastrous than what we are seeing now,” he said.
Martey explained that a dam failure could wipe out entire communities within minutes and leave large parts of Accra without water supply for years.
“In less than five minutes, areas downstream could be wiped out… and the entire western part of Accra will be without water until the dam is rebuilt, which could take years,” he added.
His comments come after widespread flooding in communities downstream of the Weija Dam triggered public criticism over the timing and scale of the spillage.
However, Martey rejected suggestions that the flooding was caused primarily by the release of water, instead pointing to illegal construction and poor urban planning as the main drivers.
“If water finds an obstruction in its flow, it will divert into other areas,” he said. “People are building in waterways and buffer zones — what do they expect to happen?”
He accused some district assemblies of failing to enforce planning regulations, allowing structures to spring up in flood-prone areas.
“We blame the assemblies for not stopping people from building in unauthorised places, but citizens must also take responsibility and stop such developments,” he said.
Martey expressed frustration over what he described as repeated disregard for warnings issued by authorities ahead of the annual spillage exercise.
“Every year we spend huge sums educating people about the spillage. That money could have built schools and hospitals,” he said.
He added that the controlled spilling of excess water is a standard safety measure built into dam operations worldwide, especially during periods of heavy rainfall.
“Every dam is constructed with spill gates because there will always be a time when water levels exceed capacity,” he noted.
Martey called for stricter enforcement of laws against illegal construction, arguing that leniency has emboldened offenders.
“Why are we begging people who are doing the wrong thing? The law must take its course,” he said.
He warned that unless authorities take decisive action against encroachment on waterways, the cycle of flooding and damage will persist.
“We have been talking about this for years. If we don’t act now, people will not obey the law,” he added.
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