By Kamal Ahmed
Kumasi (Ash), Nov. 10, GNA – The Volta River Authority (VRA) has engaged stakeholders and community members at Anwomaso and its surrounding areas on reported noise pollution from the Anwomaso Thermal Plant in the Oforikrom Municipality of the Ashanti Region.
The engagement was prompted by numerous complaints the Volta River Authority received from residents regarding constant noise pollution.
In response, the VRA organized a meeting with stakeholders to discuss solutions to this issue. The meeting provided residents with a platform to share their experiences, comments, and questions, all of which the VRA team addressed promptly.
Mr. Samuel Fletcher, the VRA’s Manager of Community Relations, addressed the gathering, which included chiefs and the public.
He stated that the VRA prided itself as a good neighbour and collaborated with community members to find solutions to challenges that affected the people around them.
He said that the VRA was aware of the noise pollution in the area and had launched activities such as tree planting to absorb noise and offset its detrimental impacts on the community.
He indicated that trees were not only beautiful and beneficial to the environment, but they also acted as natural sound barriers, thereby reducing noise pollution.
He explained that tree leaves, branches, and trunks absorbed sound waves, lowering their intensity and volume.
The complex structure of trees, with their various surfaces and textures, aids in the dissipation of sound energy, making them great natural noise absorbers.
“When more trees are planted in the community, the cumulative effect of their noise-reduction capabilities increases; developing green areas and urban forests can significantly contribute to lowering overall noise pollution in cities and town,” he said.
Mr. Fletcher also discussed the Authority’s corporate social responsibility programmes and the many routes for supporting communities impacted by the Authority’s operations.
He mentioned some programmes such as the Community Development Programme (CDP) Tertiary Scholarship Scheme and Community Development Projects, among others.
Nana Osei Boa III, The Chief of Anwomaso, in his closing remarks, expressed gratitude to the Authority and encouraged his people to continue to support the Authority.
Mr. Simon Ababio, one of the stakeholders who spoke to the GNA, advised the VRA team to accelerate efforts to reduce noise from the thermal plant.
The thermal plant represents a key milestone in the government’s attempts to assure long-term electricity supplies, particularly in the Ashanti Region.
GNA