The 10th Edition of the National Sanitation Day (NSD) witnessed an impressive turnout in Sunyani, the Brong-Ahafo Regional capital, on Saturday.

Almost all shops, drinking pubs, and stores situated along the principal and other streets in the regional capital were virtually closed.

Market women, shop owners, taxi and other commercial drivers, hairdressers, artisans, shoe makers, fun clubs, and petty traders, transport unions, and civil society oranisations joined security personnel to desilt choked gutters, picked plastic waste and swept dirty surroundings.

Joy and ecstasy characterised the clean-up exercise, led by Alhaji Collins Dauda, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, and Mr Eric Opoku, the Regional Minister as hip-life ace artistes VVIP spiced the participants with hip-life music.

People with forms of disabilities, chiefs, queen-mothers and assembly members also actively participated in the exercise, which started around 0600 hours, and lasted for about four hours.

Addressing the participants at a gathering at the Sunyani main lorry station, Alhaji Dauda, said he was highly impressed about the participation, and asked the people to continue with communal labour spirit.

He said the NSD had come to stay, and advised the people to ensure that they participate in it to ensure its success.

Alhaji Dauda said a committee has been set up and very soon it would announce and award the region, which adjudged best in the NSD for 2015.

He said environmental cleanliness and personal hygiene are the best way to control the spread of malaria and outbreak of cholera and other communicable diseases.

Alhaji Dauda said the government had provided a number of waste bins, which have been distributed among the various districts in the region and would be placed at vantage points.

He said with the provision of the bins, the public had no excuse to litter around and deposit especially plastic waste indiscriminately.

Nana Saah Gyamfuah, a Member of the Council of State, and Queen-Mother of Anyimah, in the Kintampo South District, lauded the NSD concept, and advised Ghanaians to support it.