The Mayor of Accra, Mohammed Nii Adjei Sowah, has said that the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) does not have the capacity to dredge the Odaw River.

According to him, as it stands, the Odaw River will be choked if there is a heavy downpour in the capital.

He, therefore, appealed to the Ministry of Works and Housing to help desilt the river to avoid flooding when it rains.

The Odaw River hasn’t been desilted in a long while and continues to channel most of its waste into the sea.

"If it rains heavily tomorrow, there is going to be a challenge around the Odaw areas," Mr. Sowah told Accra-based Starr FM.

"The Odaw River is chocked and will become a big challenge to the AMA in saving lives in case the heavy down pours begin.”

He added that government has plans to construct a storm drain under the Greater Accra Climate Resilient and Integrated Development Project to prevent floods in the Accra Metropolis.

This, he said, will be done using an initial funding of US$150, 000,000 secured from the World Bank.

He said the AMA is, however, still counting on the Ministry of Works and Housing to desilt the Odaw River before the raining season starts.