Government has begun work to reclaim the Lafa water retention basin at Mallam, part of ongoing efforts to reduce flooding in Mallam, Weija, Dansoman and surrounding communities in Greater Accra.
The operation, being led by the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, aims to clear years of accumulated solid waste, silt and illegal encroachments that have significantly reduced the basin’s capacity.
The 48 Engineer Regiment is a specialised combat engineer unit of the Ghana Armed Forces based in Teshie, Accra. Its core duties include disaster response, such as emergency flood rescue and evacuation, and infrastructure work like clearing waterways, dredging basins and removing illegal structures to curb seasonal flooding in the capital. It also supports joint military exercises and combat readiness demonstrations.
The exercise at Lafa includes dredging, evacuation of waste to a designated landfill, demolition of illegal structures within the water reserve and construction of protective embankments.
The intervention is being coordinated by the Post-Flood Mitigation Task Force, as part of a broader national effort to restore waterways and drainage channels across Accra following the devastating floods of June 29, 2026.
A statement from the Presidency said government has made resources and equipment available for the exercise, with similar works ongoing at Oyarifa, East Legon and the Kpeshie Lagoon area.
The public has been urged to cooperate with the taskforce and to desist from activities that obstruct waterways and undermine flood mitigation efforts.
