Traders at the Agomanya Market in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region have called on the authorities to permanently relocate a decades-old refuse dump situated in the middle of the market, citing health concerns, offensive odour and the negative impact on trading activities.

The traders say the location of the dump, surrounded by food vendors, cold stores, corn mills and other businesses, poses a sanitation challenge and creates an unpleasant environment for both traders and customers.

The refuse site, which has served the market and surrounding communities for decades, continues to receive waste from hundreds of residents, households and businesses. Residents reportedly pay between GH¢1 and GH¢2 to dispose of their refuse at the location, while 1000s of traders contribute significantly to the volume of waste generated from daily market activities.

Although three refuse containers are usually placed at the site, traders say they become full within days, leaving waste to accumulate for prolonged periods. They argue that the recurring problem cannot be solved by only clearing the refuse and have therefore called for the dump to be moved to a more suitable location away from the market.

A cold store operator, Tetteh Odjidja, who has been operating beside the dump for the past three months, said the situation has become unacceptable and affects the image of the market.

"They usually come for the refuse only after a prolonged time. Mosquitoes have become a major problem and the situation must be addressed. Food is sold all around this area and this dump should not be here. It should be evacuated from the middle of the market altogether," he said.

He added: "It is unpleasant when our customers come to us in this situation. We want to know where all the toll revenue goes because this situation must be addressed."



Maku Kpabi, who has sold maize and corn dough near the dump site for the past 16 years, said the presence of the refuse dump has brought persistent challenges to traders.

"This site has given us many problems. We have complained several times. They clear it, we ask them not to return the refuse here, but they do. Flies are all over the place because food is sold around here. We plead with the assembly to act. This latest uncleared heap has been here for more than a month and the dump should be evacuated from here altogether," she said.

She said traders and customers have complained about the situation over the years, adding that relocating the dump would help improve sanitation and restore confidence in the market.

Leader of the corn millers at the market, William Bodua, described the situation as a major sanitation concern, stressing that the refuse dump has no place in the middle of a busy trading area.

"The Agomanya Market is big, but this site sits right in the middle of the market with foodstuff being sold around it. Flies are all over and we have complained several times, but there has been no concrete response," he said.

According to him, authorities have attributed the recent delay in clearing the refuse to challenges at the landfill site at nearby Akrade, but he insisted that the dump should be relocated immediately.

"Health concerns are increasing because of this situation. The refuse should be cleared and the site moved away from the market," he added.

A resident, Maukle Teye, also expressed concern about the impact of the dump on people living and working around the market.

"Many people trading and living around here have contracted typhoid fever. Sometimes we organise ourselves to gather and prevent it from spreading wider on the floor when the situation becomes unbearable," he said.

When contacted, the Assembly Member for the Agormanya South Electoral Area, Mohammed Rafat, attributed the recurring accumulation of waste to occasional breakdowns of the refuse collection truck, which affects timely evacuation.

However, he did not immediately comment on the traders' demand for the refuse site to be permanently relocated from the market.

The traders maintain that while regular evacuation of waste is necessary, the long-term solution is to relocate the dump from the heart of the Agomanya Market to protect public health, improve sanitation and provide a better trading environment.