Puveme,a fishing community in the Anlo District has been completely washed away by the recent spate of tidal waves that hit three districts in the Volta Region recently.
The tidal waves that also destroyed property in the Ketu South and Ketahas affected the livelihoods and social lives thus forcing the entire villagers to relocate to nearby villages aroundAgorkedziAtiteti and Anyanui, leaving behind their livestock and property.
Worse of all, the disaster also blocked the Volta River linkingAnyanui in the Volta Region andtheAtlantic Ocean at Ada-Foah in the Greater AccraRegion.
The link is now silted thus forcing the fisher folks operating between the two regions to dock their boats at Puvemeand trek for about 300 metres before taking another boat to continue their journey.
When the Ghanaian Times visited the area lastThursday, this reporter observed that the tidal waves had destroyed the coastal ecology and the entire environment as well as outletswith the tides depositing sand and sediments thereby blocking shorelines that serve as means of transport and socio-economic activities of the people.
The mangrove swamp at Puveme has silted the link to such an extent that ferries and other boats which serves as alternative means of transport for the people through the Ada FoahEstuary had been grounded by the Volta River Authority (VRA).
Some residents noted that the Volta River which serve as drinking water for them has also become salty that fishes and crab species that serve as sources of food and incomewere dying.
This is as a result of the blackish and salty nature of the water that emits a very bad odour and have become infested with mosquitoes and could create disaster for the over 16 communities whose livelihood depends on the river and the Anyanui market.
The affected communities in attempt to avert any disaster have mobilised about 200 volunteers to dig channels into the mangrove swamp at Puveme to create channels that could help direct the stagnant water into the Atlantic Ocean.
Some residents the Ghanaian Times spoke toappealed to government to dredge the area.
The assembly man for Anyanui, Edwin Kushime, told the Ghanaian Times that after several failed attempts to get the VRA and the Anlo District Assembly to help dredge the link, the affected communities had no option thanbegin digging smallchannels intothe mangroves using shovels and bare handsto create enough space forfew boats to use.
He said this would help revive their economic activities and also for the free flow of the stagnant water.
He indicated that because of the low and high tide, the Volta River easily flows into the sea and vice-versa, but the current situation has made it impossible.
According to him, if the situation was not immediately addressed, it could cause serious flooding in the area thereby destroying aquatic life that the people had depended on for years.
Mr Kushime said because the water can no longer rotate properly, its level has started rising and flooding some farms in communities including Agbledomi,GaloSota, Agortoe, Dzidokpui, Gamenu, Atiteli, Tunu, Bomigo, Savietula, Yenui, Fiahor, Alakple and Anloga.
The assembly man noted that the mangrove species which the people cut and sell as firewood had begun withering under the current circumstances and would soon become extinct.
The Dufia of Anyanui,TogbuiGamor II said the current situation could collapsethe Anyanuimarket and worsen the already precarious economicsituation of thepeople.
According to him the area serves as the shortest link between the Greater Accra and the Volta regions, as such, must be immediately dredged to revive their economic activities.
The District Chief Executive of Anloga, Seth Yormewu, in a telephone interview said the assembly had contacted the VRA for assistance to help dredge the blockedchannel as a first measure.
FROM: LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU, ANYANUI
