The East Lagon area in the Accra Metropolitan District, which houses all the supposed wealthy, affluent and famous in society risks a looming danger of flooding, following the activities of unscrupulous elements who are filling the spillway of a lake-Tesa Lake, which serves as a reservoir in the plush community.
Curtis Blunt writes
Under the cover of darkness, these elements busily fill the spillway of the lake which serves as a beautiful resort and recreational site for residents.
The filling of the spillways is aside the encroachment of Lake Tesa by some residents of East Legon, thereby derailing the beauty of the resort and leaving it at the verge of destruction.
NewsDay’s visit to the Lake last Tuesday evening saw the workers who would not disclose the person behind the filling; busily using shovel and wheelbarrows to cart heaps of sand from the shore to fill the spillway.
Lake Tesa was created to provide water for the construction of the Accra- Tema motorway in the first republic under Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
Negligence on the part of city authorities and unregulated acts of some citizens have left the legacy of the first president in an undesirable state, making the dam also become a dumping site for residents.
The spillage bridge created to aid the flow of water has also been opened to traffic for residents leaving in the area.
The unconcerned posture assumed by local authorities especially the water resources commission and the Environmental Protection Agency has sent tongues wagging as to whether the authorities are waiting for disaster to strike before they act.
In 2000 the water resources commission following similar complaints from residents of East Legon, set up the lake Tesa committee with representatives from the hydrological service, the environmental protection agency, lands commission, forestry commission, the then tourism board now authority, the Tema metropolitan assembly and the east Legon extension land owners but the committees report remained on the shelve gathering dust.
