By Fatima Anafu -Astanga
Bazua , August 9 ,GNA – Zoomlion Ghana Limited, subsidiary of Jospong group of companies has evacuated refuse heaps in three districts in the Upper East Region to create space and improve sanitation in the areas.
The exercise which is in partnership with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has been executed in four District Assemblies namely Bazua for the Binduri District Assembly , Kassena Nankana West District Assembly, Fumbisi District Assembly and the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly.
Mr Daniel Kwame Garibah, DCE ,Fumbisi District Assembly, who spoke with the Ghana News Agency after two refuse heaps were cleared said the evacuation was for purposes of improving sanitation since people who lived in the areas complained of stench from them.
The DCE who expressed gratitude to Zoomlion for heeding the call to evacuate the refuse heaps indicated that the district was virtually growing into an urban town and more space was needed for other development projects rather than leave the space for dumping of rubbish.
Mr Garibah said the site created would enable the construction of long standing plans for construction of a community library which the Fumbiisi Development Association raised funds for the project which because it stalled , people who lived in the area started dumping refuse in the space.
“Now that the refuse has been evacuated the Assembly hoped to step in to support the Association to complete the project “.Mr Garibah said and according to him the district environmental health staff have been tasked to ensure dumping is not done there.
“But for the evacuation, it would have been difficult to still go ahead with the library project”. The DCE stressed.
Meanwhile he noted that the other evacuated site had a number of stores springing up around therefore the space created would enable shop owners there to be free from the stench while the assembly plans to construct more stores for hire there.
Alhaji Ayinga Abagre Yakubu , Binduri District Chief Executive Officer who was not available noted in a later interview the significance of the evacuation and said the district struggled with vehicle and tricycle parking places on Bazua market days which caused congestion on shoulders of the trunk road from Bolgatanga to Bawku.
He said the evacuation would create space for drivers loading to the south to have better parking places and reduce accidents.
Mr Evans Bornaa, Municipal environmental health Officer who spoke with the GNA during the exercise at Nawuomaya and Tanzui suburbs of the municipality, said the refuse heaps were over six years old and had been a challenge for people living in those communities.
Mr Bornaa bemoaned attitudes of people who throw rubbish around and indiscriminately defecate in to gutters and warned of dangers such as mosquito’s bites and cholera.
He said refuse containers will be placed in the sites whilst refuse attendants be posted there to manage the places.
Mr Maxwell Mba Ayipalla , Regional Coordinator, Zoomlion evacuation project , said the first phase of the exercise was a success and encouraged people to seek expert advice in handling and managing waste and noted that with growing population , modernized ways and systems was needed to do so.
GNA