Gov't Bags Money for Landfill Project

The Government has been able to source funds from the World Bank to commence the phase II of the controversial Kwabenya landfill project next year.

At a briefing with senior journalists in Accra, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Chief Executive, Mr. Solomon Ofei Darko said the World Bank has agreed to fund the second phase of the project, following the completion of phase I, a year ago.

According to the AMA boss, the Ologo landfill, also in the Ga district, which is currently in use, would be filled up next year.

Refuse collection in the city has been of grave concern to both residents and government as the AMA, constrained by insufficient resources, is unable to cope with the amount of garbage generated daily.

According AMA's own statistics, the city generates an estimated 1800 tonnes of garbage a day while the assembly could collect only 1,300 tonnes.

Mr. Ofei Darko noted that Accra, with a population of four million, manages a daily influx of half a million people, who come to transact various businesses and create garbage nuisance and then leave for their various destinations.

This number of people has been increasing in the last few months ahead of the Christmas celebrations.

Mr. Ofei Darko indicated that there are seven agencies responsible for the development of the capital city but lack of coordination has made it very difficult to deal with its problems and the AMA is invariably blamed for all the lapses.

For instance, he said not many people know that the urban roads department is responsible for the construction and cleaning of all primary roads, street and drains and the hydro division of the ministry of works and housing responsible for the drainage system.

Mr. Ofei Darko said before he assumed office the city was divided into 15 zones and assigned to refuse contractors for clearing of refuse.

The contractors were assigned to each zone and they provided garbage containers at densely populated areas at no cost to residents while residents of the high-income areas paid for collection of theirs. This means that only 20% of residents of Accra pay for the collection of their garbage.

The creation of 13 new sub metros, he said would greatly enhance refuse collection under a new arrangements to keep the city clean.

The high income areas would register with the garbage contractors for their refuse collection, whiles the youth would be engaged in the collection at low income areas, he said, adding that 100 additional labourers would be employed by each of the new sub-metros to undertake the clearing of refuse and cleaning of their respective areas.

Schools in the metropolis are now deployed to undertake clean-up exercise in their vicinities every Friday whiles volunteers in the various communities have started cleaning up exercises in their communities on Saturdays and Sundays.

Gangs have also been formed to undertake clearing of waste night in the central business districts of Okaishie and Makola under a rapid response team based at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle while the Ghana National Fire Service would flush the drains.

The removal of unauthorized structures has been intensified and traders who had moved from their stalls and stores to the road sides have been warned to go back or have their shops reallocated.

Those without stalls who sell at the street sides are being encouraged to relocate to the satellite markets, which are being refurbished.

Mr. Ofei Darko said these are part of measures to decongest the commercial areas and to enforce the assembly's byelaws.