President John Dramani Mahama on Friday, July 10, joined residents of Tse Addo in the Greater Accra Region to participate in the National General Clean-up Exercise, personally helping to desilt a choked drain as part of efforts to improve sanitation and prevent flooding.

The President visited the community after receiving a briefing from officials of the local assembly on the ongoing clean-up operation. He later joined residents, security personnel and other stakeholders in clearing refuse and removing silt from drainage channels.

Addressing participants, President Mahama commended residents for their impressive turnout and commitment to the exercise, noting that the condition of the drain highlighted the urgent need for proper waste disposal and routine maintenance of drainage systems.

“I want to use this opportunity to thank all the residents who have come out to help with this exercise. Clearly, we can see what the cause of our problem is. We’ve just desilted this. Look at the plastics that we are taking out of it,” he said.

The President observed that the large quantities of silt and plastic waste removed from the drain demonstrated how years of indiscriminate waste disposal and poor maintenance had significantly reduced the capacity of drainage systems, making communities more vulnerable to flooding.

He also cautioned against the practice of leaving dredged silt along roadsides after clean-up exercises, explaining that rainfall often washes the debris back into drains and reverses the gains made.

“I’ve gone round the city, I’ve seen the turnout has been very good,” he said, adding that the Ghana Armed Forces and other security agencies would continue dredging major waterways to improve the flow of water into wetlands and reduce flood risks.

The National General Clean-up Exercise is being conducted across seven flood-affected regions as part of the government’s post-flood response following the devastating June 29 floods. The initiative is aimed at improving environmental sanitation, clearing choked drains and minimising the risk of future flooding.

Organised by the Post-Flood Mitigation Committee, the two-day exercise is being implemented in phases. The first day is led by the security services, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), and waste management companies, while members of the public are expected to take part in the second phase.