The Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) says it will demolish all structures sited on sewer lines very soon for the replacement of major sewer lines at Communities 2 and 4.Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Isaac Ashai Odamtten, disclosed this on Tuesday in his sessional address at the first ordinary meeting of the fourth session of the TMA.
Mr Odamtten noted that “the Assembly is doing the necessary consultation and will move in to demolish these structures to pave way for the replacement of the sewers in those areas.”
“We are not going to allow a few people to take the whole community to ransom because of their selfish ends,” he added.
The MCE said the Tema central sewerage system which was constructed over 50 years ago was now a major challenge to the Assembly, and gave the assurance that his outfit would replace the pipes to improve the situation.
Mr Odamtten indicated that last year, the TMA undertook the rehabilitation of sections of the Tema sewerage system, including the replacement of the eight-inch defective sewer pipes in site 15 of Community One.
He added that about 486 choked sewers consisting of 396 residential, 11 industrial, 37 institutions and 42 mainlines were reported to the Assembly and cleared.
On acquisition of permit, the MCE announced that the Assembly would this year introduce an E-permit system to enable developers to acquire building permits electronically.
The E-permit system, he indicated, would facilitate easy and faster acquisition of building permits, as the current process was unfriendly to developers, and a cause of building without permit in the Metropolis.
He revealed that the Assembly intends to introduce the Certificate of Habitation to all buildings in accordance with the provisions of the National Building Regulations, 1996 (L.I. 630) Section 10, 1-7.
Mr Odamtten said the validity period of the building permit would be five years, adding that it would affect all buildings which have been issued with building permits within the last five years.
He stated that the Town and Country Planning Department was putting the necessary arrangement in place for the smooth take-off of the exercise, but, however, reminded residents that “this is not a new regulation in the country, and we will be using it to widen the revenue net of the Assembly..”
Source: GNA