Bolgatanga, Dec. 13, GNA – Construction of the Upper East Regional Integrated Waste Recycling and Composting Plant at Sherigu in the Bolgatanga Municipality is expected to be completed in 2022.
Mr John Sackey said work on the million-dollar project awarded to Hydronomics Limited, a construction firm, is progressing steadily with the construction of the substructure and other facilities of the plant ongoing smoothly at various levels.
It would be recalled that in October, 2020, President Akufo-Addo broke the ground for the construction of a solid and liquid waste treatment plant at Sherigu as part of efforts to ensure effective management of waste and environmental cleanliness.
The project is a partnership between the government of Ghana and Jospong Group to construct waste recycling and composting plants across all the regions in Ghana.
It is expected to promote the production of organic compost for horticultural and agronomical purposes, reduce the high rate of plastic pollution, and process recyclable fractions of total waste such as paper, plastic, and metal for reuse.
Mr Sackey, speaking on the sidelines of Zoomlion’s annual thanksgiving ceremony held at Bolgatanga, noted that apart from the recycling, solid and liquid waste treatment, and management components, the facility upon completion, would also have component for treating medical waste emanating from health facilities.
“I believe that by the next year, we will be able to complete the project over here and when that happens, with the recycling, we are going to seek out all the plastics, metals and use the household waste, which is the organic aspect to produce organic manure and through that, we will create jobs for the people and generate resource and revenue,” he said.
The Regional Manager noted that Zoomlion over the years had contributed to improving upon the sanitation situation in the country and the region in particular, however, poor road network continued to hinder the waste collection part of the company.
“Specifically, when you come to Upper East Region, our major challenge has to do with road network, how to access various communities and houses to carry out door to door waste collection.
“There are some places that people really need the waste bins but we cannot go there because our vehicles cannot go there and also during the raining season, sometimes our vehicles get stuck even up to a week,” he complained.
Mr Sackey explained that there was a revolution in which people who generated waste must be responsible for the proper disposal and not rely on the government and said the company would continue its sensitization drive to inculcate in people the sense of proper waste management.
Mr Sackey further advocated the use of straw weaving baskets especially the Bolgatanga Baskets to deal with the plastic waste menace which continued to be a big challenge in the waste management system in the country.
Mr Samuel Amangdedam Atiru, the Upper East Regional Director of the Youth Employment Agency noted that apart from the contribution to keeping the region clean and conducive, over 3,000 employed under the YEA scheme have been employed and are currently working under the Zoomlion Company.
GNA