The clearing exercise, which is in collaboration with the municipal and district assemblies, as well as the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, is expected to last for days.

The exercise began at Sokode-Gbogame in the Ho Municipality at a garbage site along the Sokode-Abutia road, which has been a nuisance to residents and motorists for years.

The Deputy Director of Monitoring Service Quality of Zoomlion, Daniel Martey, said the exercise would also take place at Aflao Beat 9, Anfoega, Adaklu-Kodzobi, Kpetoe-Agoe, Sogakope, Keta and other sites in the region.

Open space

He said the exercise would leave open spaces to enable the assemblies to create recreational parks and other development projects on the land.

The Ho Municipal Chief Executive, Divine Bosson, for his part, said it would greatly enhance efforts by the assembly to keep the municipality clean all the time and promote its ‘Oxygen City’ agenda.

He warned that any unruly individual who threw rubbish about on the streets would suffer swift and ruthless consequences.

“The by-laws of the assembly would be enforced to punish such people without delay,” he added.

Mr Bosson described the exercise as timely  and said its commencement in the Ho Municipality bore ample testimony to the importance the assembly attached to cleanliness.

He commended Zoomlion for its commitment of massive resources to the evacuation exercise and gave an assurance that the assembly would support it to ensure the success of the exercise.