Floods render residents of Gaagbini homeless after a torrential downpour in the area

Correspondence from North East Region

Residents of Gaagbini in the West Mamprusi municipality of the North East Region on Sunday, the 28th of August 2022 woke up to torrential flooding that wreaked havoc on some houses in the area.

The residents in the community were forced to seek shelter from neighbors following the downpour which occurred on Sunday early

Read full articledawn displacing nearly 75 residents.

Several properties including livestock, backyard farms, and other valuable items have been washed away by the flood after the downpour which lasted close to an hour.

GhanaWeb visited the affected community and some of the residents were seen conveying their remaining properties to display on the main Walewale-Nalerigu waiting for the water to recede for them to perch with neighbors who are not affected.

The residents were authorized by the North East Regional Minister, Yidana Zakaria, and the West Mamprusi Municipal Chief Executive, Issahak Arimeyaw Basintale Somo Lucky to split the Nalerigu – Gambaga road to divert the flow of the cascading water to prevent it from affecting adjoining communities.

Some of the residents who were also forced out of their homes by the floods bemoaned that all their property had been washed away including foodstuff in the early hours of Sunday.

"Last year, the same flooding occurred here. Just this morning 6 AM to 7 AM we woke and the community was flooded. We are appealing to the government to at least come and construct the bridge for us. We are tired but when they construct the bridge, this similar incident will not happen again. The water took away the Banku we were stirring so we are begging the government to show concern", Sakina, a resident lamented.

Another resident, Alidu Safia uncovered that they have lost several properties to the torrential flood hence, they will starve this year if the government does not come to their aid. "The flood has affected us a lot and we are forced to convey our properties to the roadside. The flood even affected the community in the last two years but nothing has been done about the construction of the bridge as we were told", Safia said.




The Chief of the community, Naa Yidana Alhassan, and his family were rendered homeless after the five useful rooms in the house collapsed and were submerged in the water. He is appealing to the government for support.

"I am appealing to the government to come and help the community with what he can. Over the last two years, the same flooding occurred here so I am begging the government to come and construct a big culvert for the community. Our forefathers never experienced this but these years, the water is entering the community just because they raise the road with a small culvert so the water cannot gush well. I don't have a room in my house to sleep in anymore. I am begging the government to come and help the community", Naa Yidana Alhassan appealed.




The situation according to the residents will be ameliorated if a big culvert is constructed to allow an easy flow of water anytime it rains.

Meanwhile, a similar incident happened in the same community and the other three communities after two dams burst on the 1st of October, 2020.