The government has announced plans to redeploy 70 excavators seized from illegal miners to support a nationwide desilting exercise aimed at tackling persistent flooding nationwide.
The Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, said the equipment would be handed over to the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to help clear drains and improve water flow in flood-prone communities.
The move forms part of broader efforts to strengthen flood prevention measures and enhance environmental sanitation.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, June 10, the Minister explained that the excavators were seized during anti-galamsey operations and would now be put to productive national use.
He noted that the machinery would be deployed to various parts of the country to support ongoing drainage maintenance works.
“Currently, what we are doing is that all the seized excavators from the illegal mining activities – we agreed that about 70 of them should be given to NADMO so that they can take them across the country to do desilting.
“We will do the handover next week so that they can use them to desilt most of the drains but the bottom line is we should begin to clean our surroundings,” he stated.
Flooding continues to pose a major challenge in many parts of Ghana, particularly in Accra, where heavy rains frequently cause damage to property, disrupt livelihoods and displace residents.
Experts have consistently attributed the problem to blocked drains, indiscriminate waste disposal and unauthorised construction on waterways, underscoring the need for sustained preventive measures.