Samuel Opoku, a fish farmer at Gomoa Mampong has been left reeling from a devastating setback following the collapse of the bridge Ayensu River Bridge on the Accra-Winneba Highway.
Mr Opoku’s fish ponds, spanning several hectares have been flooded, washing away months of hard work and investment.
The aggrieved farmer almost in tears counted his losses on Thursday.
“The most devastating part for me is my seedlings which cover about 10 hectares, about five ponds which I stocked with fingerlings just last week have been washed away,” he cried.
But for his ponds, Mr Opoku said the havoc would have been more devastating for the communities.
“I made an inquiry and brought an excavator to dredged, dug my dams and create my banking. My dams were holding the excess water from the dam collapse but after the volume became too much, it broke the banks and submerged the houses,” he revealed.
The heartbroken farmer accused the contractor of pursuing selfish interest because all appeals for them to find a middle ground and possibly allow the water flow have proven futile.
Mr Opoku vowed to seek compensation from relevant authorities, adding that, the contractor must be sanctioned for the havoc caused to the communities.
Residents and commuters of the Accra-Winneba Highway have been left stranded following the collapse of the bridge linking the communities.
The contractor working on the Kasoa-Cape Coast Highway on Wednesday blocked the main bridge on River Ayensu at Gomoa Okyereko in the Gomoa East District.
This was part of a measure to construct a modern bridge that can accommodate the volume of water.
Unfortunately, the volume of the water in the last 24 hours has kept rising each hour, wreaking havoc.
SOURCE: Gertrude Otchere