The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources has launched a Street Litter Bin programme.
Under the programme, the Ministry has deployed 5,100 Litter bins to control public littering in selected Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ashanti, Central, Greater Accra, Northern, Oti, Volta and Western Regions.
Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, made this known to the media on Wednesday.
Addressing journalists during the Information Ministry’s Meet The Press series, she noted that an additional 3,000 bins are currently being deployed out of which 600 have been donated to the Ministry of Defence for distribution to the Armed Forces.
“In addition, 400 of the bins have also been delivered to the Ministry of the Interior for distribution to the other Security Services. It is therefore expected of the general public to cooperate by depositing only litter generated while on the street, into these bins and not to fill them with household waste.”
Madam Dapaah said in response to the overwhelming sanitation challenges, the Ministry, under the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development Project (GARID), has secured a parcel of land to construct an Engineered Sanitary Landfill and a Materials Recovery Facility in the Ga West Municipality.
She mentioned that two Transfer Stations will be constructed at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission and the Adentan Municipality respectively.
“Two major dumpsites at Abokobi and Agbogbloshie (Old Fadama) will be capped. Expression of Interest (EOI) for Consultancy Services for Detailed Engineering Design (DED) and construction supervision for the Landfill and Capping components have been received and are being evaluated,” she added.
The Minister said following Cabinet’s approval to decommission and re-engineer the Kpone and Oti Landfill sites, the Ministry has engaged Messrs Zoomlion Ghana Limited to undertake the decommissioning and re-engineering works at the two sites.
“I am happy to announce that, the Contractor has mobilised to the two sites and works are progressing steadily. The Ministry has also procured Messrs. EAP Consult Limited, a local Engineering firm as Consultants to supervise the project to ensure quality control”.
The Sanitation Minister further disclosed that the Greater Accra Sustainable Sanitation and Livelihood Improvement Project (GASSLIP) has also procured thirty (30) Communal Waste Containers (Skips) and distributed to all the MMAs within the GAMA.
She said 24 motor powered small vehicles have been procured to further improve solid waste collection within GAMA.
By Melvin Tarlue