By Felix Coffie
Reconstruction of the Appiatse Community which was razed down by mining explosives in January, this year will begin by the ending of April this year.
Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Benito Owusu Bio who is also the Chairman for the Appiatse Reconstruction Committee disclosed this in Accra. Outlining the milestones made by the team Mr. Owusu Bio said they have been able to redesign a new spatial plan for the Appiatse Community. This, he said was done in deep consultation with the indigenes of the town, their leaders and professionals from the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority.
He added that the plan which has been adopted makes room for additional social spaces like transportation terminals, clinics, schools, markets, expansion of roads and particularly, the greens to contribute in the reduction of global warming.
He mentioned that his team has been working around the clock on their mandate, hence secured temporary structures at Odumase, a nearby Community in the Prestea Huni-Valley Constituency to as a matter of urgency, resettle the people of Appiatse temporarily, before the rains set in.
“As we enter the rainy season, it is clear that affected citizens cannot remain in tents at Appiatse. Working together with Future Global Resources Company Limited, (FGR) we have secured structures for a planned relocation as a temporary shelter for the Appiatse citizens” He maintained.
Mr. Benito Bio also indicated that the team is currently preparing road designs with costs estimates for the Ministry of Roads and Highways to reconstruct roads within the settlements which were in good shape before the explosion.
The Deputy Minister hinted that a Request for Proposals will be published on Monday, 28th March 2022 for interested Contractors to bid for the designing and construction of the Appiatse Community.
Mr. Owusu-Bio on behalf of Government applauded the Fire service, the Police, NADMO and other first responders to the incident for their efforts and support.
“I want to thank the Honorable Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor and His Excellency Nana Akufo Addo for the honor they have done us in trusting us with this important national exercise. We hope to continue to receive the support, feedback, advice and prayers of everyone as we execute on our mandate” he said.
The Chairman of the Appiatse Support Fund Committee, Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee said ” leaving out portions of the Community untouched, like the hills and mountains, is part of the green concept that the President would like us to implement”
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“In addition, having these very narrow roads, to encourage walking and bicycling, is also part of the Green idea because the more vehicles we use, the more carbon monoxide we put out, the more we destroy the environment and the planning has taken all these into account “, she noted
Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee applauded the Reconstruction Committee on their progress made. She hinted the media would soon be appraised.
The Director for Research, Monitoring and Evaluation of the Land Usage and Spacial Planning Authority (LUPSA), Mohammed Alhassan Damba in a presentation noted that the plan which has been designed to accommodate about 870 people on 205.64 acres of land seeks to forster a vibrant human environment by balancing residential land use with complementary land meant for commercial, industrial and public services.
He said to a large extent, the plan maintains the pre-disaster cultural settings and lifestyle of the people, providing four different varying land sizes; 185sqm, 279sqm, 372sqm, 585sqm and access networks that promote walkability to keep the Community closely knit.
Mr. Damba alerted that to incorporate sustainability and climate resilience principles, 15% of the total land area has been earmarked as places for ecological assets such as water ways, green parks and green reserves in wetlands and hilly areas, adding that tree planting corridors have also been provided along major roads.
A member of the team and representative from the Ghana Institute of Architects Blankson Hemans gave a brief presentation on the way foward, clearly stating that the road networks within the settlements are the first construction works that will begin the entire project in April ending.
He explained that from the design, the team will be moving on to designing the actual houses which has warranted the requests for proposals from contractors for the reconstruction.
Detailing the number of houses expected in the new Appiatse Community, Mr. Hemans said 124 houses will be constructed in the core area of the Community ⁹which was flattened completely by the explosion, plus some other 292 buildings which will be simply rehabilitation, bringing the total number of houses to be constructed to 416 houses of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 bedroom apartments.
