By Kingsley Mamore, GNA
Nkwanta (O/R), Oct 06, GNA – The Nkwanta North District Assembly has intensified efforts to improve sanitation and environmental conditions in the district through a community-wide clean-up exercise held at the New Market.
The exercise, organised as part of the District’s Sanitation Day activities, brought together students, teachers, Assembly Members, staff of the Nkwanta North District Assembly, environmental health officers, Zoomlion workers and other community members.
Participants undertook extensive cleaning activities within and around the New Market, clearing refuse, weeds and other unwanted materials that could pose health and environmental risks to traders, shoppers and residents.
The exercise also focused on areas of the market affected by waterlogging, where participants undertook filling works to improve the condition of the affected portions, enhance accessibility and reduce the accumulation of stagnant water.
The initiative formed part of broader efforts by the Assembly to promote proper sanitation practices and encourage residents to take greater responsibility for maintaining clean and healthy surroundings.
Mr Isaiah Kudjoe Dordoe, the District Chief Executive (DCE), who was present to observe and support the exercise, commended the various stakeholders for their active participation and commitment to improving sanitation in the district.
He said the Assembly would continue to mobilise communities and relevant stakeholders to sustain sanitation interventions and ensure that the district made significant progress in environmental cleanliness.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Dordoe said his ambition was to position Nkwanta North at the top of the national sanitation league table.
He said achieving the objective would require sustained collaboration between the Assembly, traditional authorities, schools, businesses, community groups and individual residents.
The DCE stressed that sanitation was not the sole responsibility of the District Assembly, explaining that maintaining a clean environment required the collective commitment and active participation of all residents.
He, therefore, urged residents to make proper waste disposal and environmental cleanliness part of their daily activities, rather than waiting for organised clean-up exercises before keeping their surroundings clean.
Mr Dordoe also called on traders and market users to support the Assembly’s sanitation initiatives by ensuring that waste generated through their activities was properly disposed of at designated points.
He said the Assembly would continue to work with stakeholders to identify sanitation challenges and implement practical measures to address them.
The District Environmental Health Officer, Mr Kojo Nsor, also urged residents, particularly traders and other market users, to take ownership of the cleanliness of their immediate surroundings.
He cautioned residents against indiscriminate disposal of refuse, stressing that such practices could block drains, create breeding grounds for disease vectors and worsen flooding and waterlogging within the community.
Mr Nsor said sanitation should be regarded as a daily responsibility and not an activity reserved for designated clean-up days.
He encouraged residents to sustain the gains made during the exercise by regularly cleaning their homes, business premises, public spaces and other areas within their communities.
He further called for stronger cooperation between residents and environmental health officers to ensure compliance with sanitation regulations and promote a healthier environment.
The exercise provided an opportunity for students and teachers to contribute directly to community development while reinforcing the importance of environmental cleanliness among the younger generation.
The Assembly said it would continue to collaborate with schools, traditional authorities, community members, private sector partners and other stakeholders to improve sanitation and environmental conditions across the district.
The Assembly also urged residents to view sanitation as a shared civic responsibility and support measures aimed at making Nkwanta North a cleaner, healthier and more environmentally sustainable district.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Benjamin Mensah
06 Oct. 2026