<h1><br></h1><p>The operation, being undertaken by the National Flood Mitigation Task Force, forms part of a broader intervention ordered by President John Dramani Mahama following recent flooding that affected several communities in the Greater Accra Region.</p><p>The first phase of the exercise covers New England behind Airport Hills, Mayfair Garden Estates, the Tesa Dam enclave near Boundary Road in East Legon and Oyarifa. Authorities say the exercise will later be extended to Weija, Mallam, Laboma and other flood-prone areas.</p><p>Leading the operation are Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations) Stan Xoese Dogbe, Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, and the Coordinator of the National Post-Flood Mitigation Task Force, Brigadier General Forster Okae-Yeboah.</p><p>The task force is demolishing structures that have been illegally erected on waterways and drainage channels while simultaneously dredging and desilting drains, dams and streams to restore their natural capacity and improve the flow of stormwater.</p><p>At the Tesa Dam in East Legon, excavators moved in to remove structures built along the banks before commencing dredging works to clear accumulated silt. Officials believe restoring the dam's storage capacity will significantly reduce flooding along the Accra-Tema Motorway, East Legon and adjoining communities during heavy rainfall.</p><p>In Oyarifa, walls and buildings constructed directly over a natural watercourse were demolished to reopen blocked drainage channels. Similar interventions were carried out at New England, where an illegally constructed reinforced concrete bridge that impeded water flow was removed.</p><p>Speaking during the exercise, Brigadier General Okae-Yeboah said the operation would continue across flood-prone communities nationwide, adding that cleared waterways would be protected through buffer zones and continuous monitoring to prevent future encroachment.</p><p>Minister Kenneth Adjei reiterated that President Mahama had directed that the exercise should become a year-round programme rather than a one-off intervention. He stressed that sustained dredging and strict enforcement against illegal developments would help improve Accra's drainage system, protect lives and property, and reduce the devastating impact of seasonal flooding.</p>