–BY Issah Olegor
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has announced plans to demolish three buildings at the Adum Blue Light area, which were recently gutted by an inferno.
According to the KMA, the structures, including one owned by the assembly and two others belonging to private developers, have been deemed unsafe and need to be pulled down to pave the way for the reconstruction of the market.
Background
The Adum Blue Light market was gutted by a devastating fire a month ago, leaving many traders without a place to sell their goods.
Since then, the KMA has been working to assess the damage and develop a plan for reconstruction.
However, some traders have begun erecting structures on the land, claiming they are protecting their space from being taken over by the assembly.
Reconstruction
Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Richard Boadi, revealed that the KMA is ready to support the traders in reconstructing the market under its technical supervision.
However, the assembly is financially constrained and cannot absorb the costs of reconstruction.
Boadi explained that the KMA is considering converting some streets within the Central Business District of Adum into a temporary trading center for the affected traders.
Demolition Exercise
The KMA had planned to use excavators to demolish the structures, but the exercise was put on hold due to concerns about the potential cost.
Boadi stated that if the demolition had proceeded as planned, everything at the site would have been gone by now.
The assembly is now working to find a solution that will allow for the safe and efficient demolition of the structures.
