Strategies to solve the current improper waste management issues in the country with regards to waste collection, keeping and disposal was at the heart of the launch of The Urban Sanitation Module (USM) at the Local Government Training Institute in Accra September 3, 2015.

The National Waste Bin Distribution Programme (NAWaBin) in collaboration with the National Service Scheme (NSS) launched the Urban Sanitation Module (USM) which saw the participation of the ESPA, waste management companies, the Ministry of Local Government, town and city planning department etc to deliberate on a new module that seeks to address the lapses that has been identified as a challenge in the management of waste in the country.

These include inaccurate data for household subscribers to waste management companies, poor sanitary practices, inadequate number of dustbins, poor revenue collection and leakages among other issues.

Dr Michael Kpessa-Whyte, Executive Director for National Service, indicated that besides providing IT solutions support to the key players for the gathering of data for the operation, the Environmental Sanitation Sector during its bin distribution exercise will attach RFT-ID to monitor waste management procedures as well as revenue collection.

He added that GPR systems will also be introduced to track the exact location of households to harness the process.

The GPR system, he said, will also help to track defaulters in ‘driver hit and run’ situations as well as easy location to respond promptly to distress calls to police in robbery alert situation.

This programme comes in the wake of improper waste management systems that have contributed to perennial flooding and cholera outbreak that directly affect citizens leading to poor level of production in the employment sector.

The absence of credible database for households to track subscribers to waste management companies has been cited as one of the major factors that has thwarted the waste management processes in the country.

The new module has thus been planned out to duly address this problem.

Selected NSS personnel and other participating groups in this exercise will be given training to equip them with the requisite skills for logistic distribution, data gathering etc to facilitate the entire process.

NSS Personnel on the programme were also urged to stay committed to the exercise and consider it as a way of contributing to developmental growth and simple sanitation efforts in the country.