By James Esuon
Agona Swedru (C/R), June 8, GNA – The Agona West Municipal Assembly has established a sanitation police unit to arrest and prosecute residents who dispose of refuse at unauthorised locations within the municipality.
Mr. Mac Dzodzodzi, Agona West Municipal Environmental Health and Sanitation Officer, disclosed this to the media after the monthly National Sanitation Day clean-up exercise at Agona Swedru.
He explained that the sanitation police, established by the Assembly, would arrest individuals found dumping refuse on streets, in gutters, and at other unauthorised public places.
According to him, offenders would be arraigned before the court to serve as a deterrent to others. He noted that the initiative would contribute significantly to maintaining a clean environment in the municipal capital and surrounding communities.
Mr. Dzodzodzi reiterated calls on residents and the travelling public to desist from indiscriminate dumping of refuse.
He commended residents, Assembly staff, and personnel of the Environmental Health and Sanitation Department for defying heavy rains to participate in the clean-up exercise.
The exercise involved desilting choked gutters, sweeping principal streets, and cleaning the market centre and other parts of the Agona Swedru township.
The Environmental Health and Sanitation Officer also cautioned food vendors to keep their surroundings clean to help prevent cholera and other food-borne diseases.
He advised residents to avoid consuming cold foods, particularly during the rainy season, to reduce the risk of health complications.
Mr. Dzodzodzi further urged residents to stay away from River Akora, which had overflowed its banks, and to comply with directives issued by officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to prevent the loss of lives and property.
He stressed that it was the responsibility of every citizen to keep their surroundings clean rather than waiting for the Assembly to organise periodic clean-up exercises.
The Environmental Health and Sanitation Officer announced that beginning next week, the Assembly would write to supermarkets, large retail stores, and hotels, directing them to stop disposing of refuse in Assembly-owned refuse containers.
Mr. Dzodzodzi explained that the Assembly had adopted a strategic waste management plan and would engage the affected businesses to develop appropriate refuse disposal arrangements aimed at reducing pressure on public refuse containers within the municipality.
GNA
Edited by Alice Tettey / Audrey Dekalu