The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR) has begun a massive exercise to evacuate and shut down illegal dumpsites littered across the country.

The exercise, which is being replicated throughout the country, forms part of the government’s agenda to make Ghana the cleanest country in Africa, and also improve sanitation conditions at the places where the dumpsites were located.

It kick-started on Monday (October 19, 2020) at two dumpsites located within the Accra metropolis. The dumpsites were located at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and Mudor Electoral Area.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the exercise, the Assembly member for Korle Bu Electoral Area, Mr. Richard Tagoe, disclosed that for over five years, residents around in Korle Bu have been dumping waste illegally at the Korle Bu dumpsite [otherwise known as the ‘borla house’].

He described the practice as very worrying, stressing that it could lead to the outbreak of diseases within the assembly.

According to him, after the dumpsite is cleared and shutdown, the assembly will provide waste containers at the site to convey wastes to the transfer stations.

He, however, added that the assembly will equally ensure the regular lifting of the waste containers to avoid spillovers.

In the view of Mr. Tagoe, the lack of waste containers was a major factor contributing to the continuous dumping of refuse at the site with its health implications.

“I will also liaise with the police with the aim of stopping further dumping of refuse at this site. And more importantly, I will see to it that recalcitrant residents who continue to dump refuse at this site after the exercise are arrested and made to face the full rigors of the law,” he assured.

At the dumpsite in the Mudor Electoral Area, tractors were spotted evacuating the heaped stinking refuse from the site. There were also dump trucks at the site receiving loads of waste to convey to the nearest transfer station.

The Assemblymember for Mudor Electoral Area, Mr. Francis Asare, was full of praise for the ministry of sanitation and water resources.

“The Mudor dumpsite has really become a nuisance to the assembly and we are grateful that the government through the ministry of sanitation and water resources has finally come to our aid,” he said.

He gave the assurance that after the completion of the exercise, his office will see to it that people do not use the site as a dumping ground.

Against this backdrop, he appealed to the government to help them fix lights at the site. He noted that this will prevent people from using the cover of darkness at the site to dump refuse.

For his part, the Ashiedu Keteke Sub-Metro Chairman, Mr. Seth Raymond Tettey, entreated the residents to patronize the services of waste management providers in the management of their waste.

This, he said, would mean the residents pay some small amount of money to the service providers to enable them to manage their waste. He said this will help make “Accra a better place for all of us to live in.”

“I also want to appeal to the service providers to be lifting the refuse regularly,” he urged.

And in preventing people from still dumping refuse at these dumping sites after they had been shut down, Mr. Tettey called on the assemblies to collaborate with the law enforcers in that regard.

The exercise is expected to continue today in various municipalities within the Greater Accra Region.