Heavy rainfall on Monday, August 12, 2024, resulted in severe flooding at Kpasenkpe STEM Senior High School in the West Mamprusi Municipality, halting academic activities.
The downpour lasted more than four hours and caused water from a nearby rice valley to overflow onto the school grounds.
Responding to the flooding, students were not just evacuated from their classrooms, but also actively involved in digging a channel to redirect the water, showcasing their proactive role in managing the crisis.
The situation was later addressed with the help of an excavator to manage the water flow.
Headmaster Amadu Mamudu Delwende Timbilla said the school has been experiencing flooding issues since its establishment. He noted that inadequate culverts on the nearby road have contributed to the problem.
“This is not the first time we’ve experienced flooding at this school. It has been an issue since 2022, even before the school was officially handed over to us,” Timbilla said.
Timbilla warned that the absence of proper culverts would continue to disrupt teaching and learning during heavy rainfall. “Without the construction of adequate culverts, any significant rainfall will inevitably affect our academic activities,” he added.
North East Regional Minister Yidana Zakaria, after visiting the site, described the situation as “disturbing and problematic,” Acknowledging the severity of the issue and the urgency of the need for a solution.
Reassuringly, North East Regional Minister Yidana Zakaria announced, “The contractor working on the road has been directed to install additional culverts to effectively manage the volume of water.” This commitment from the government aims to resolve the issue and prevent future disruptions.
