The prepared site
AUTHORITIES in the North East Region are planning to turn cleared refuse dump sites into recreational centres.
The move is part of efforts to prevent people from using the cleared sites for refuse dumping again.
According to the Northern East Regional Minister, Solomon Namliit Boar, the region will also ensure that refuse containers are put at vantage points to transfer refuse to properly managed dumping sites.
Speaking during the Emergency National Refuse Evacuation Exercise being led by the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources on Wednesday, he said some three key towns in the newly-created region were benefiting from the exercise “to get rid of illegal refuse dumps across the country.”
Mr. Boar said he would make sure the exercise was sustained to support the President’s sanitation agenda. He said the region would also take up the challenge to periodically get rid of refuse dropped in waste bins in the area.
On how the programme would be sustained, the regional minister said the Regional Coordinating Council would coordinate the assemblies to make it a part of their action plan in order to keep the region clean.
Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the East Mamprusi Municipality, Danladi Abdul-Nashir, said that the exercise had come to help ease the financial burden on the assembly.
According to him, the assembly spent GH¢27,000 to get rid of refuse in the area, saying, “We are very happy that the Sanitation Ministry has come to our aid because this has been a big problem for us. Each time people complain to us but due to financial constraints we are unable to clear the refuse.”
The MCE continued that his outfit would work with waste management giants, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, to periodically empty the refuse containers in the area.
In the North East Region, Nalerigu, Gambaga and Lamgbinsi are benefitting from the first phase of the exercise.
From Eric Kombat, Nalerigu