The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources has begun the distribution of over 1000 solid waste collection equipment to 17 municipal assemblies in the Greater Accra Region.
The assemblies include Korle Klotey, Adentan, La Nkwatanang Madina, Ga East, La Dadekotopon, Okaikoi North, Ablekuma Central, GA Central, GA North, GA West, Ayawaso East, Ayawaso West, Ayawaso Central, Ayawaso North, and the Ablekuma West municipal assemblies.
The move according to the ministry forms part of efforts by the government to curtail the improper disposal of solid waste in Accra, particularly the Odaw river.
Speaking during the launch and distribution of the tools on November 15, 2022, the sector minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah said the improper disposal of waste has become a grave concern to both local and international communities due to recurrent flooding incidents surrounding areas record when it rains.
“Poor solid waste is one of the major causes of flooding in Ghana hence the GARID project was designed to address flooding in the catchment area of the Odaw Basin within the Greater Accra Region. This is important because the issue of solid waste finding its way into our oceans and other water bodies has become a matter of grave concern to both local and international communities hence the need to address it,” she said.
The distribution of the equipment forms part of its Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GRID) project.
The tools distributed included 14m3 and 5m3 refuse compactor trucks, motorized sprayers, motor bicycles, wheelbarrows, safety boots, wellington boots, helmets, reflector jackets, goggles, hand gloves, shovels, rakes, and working gears.
The sector minister further indicated that it is the ministry’s expectation that this equipment will help improve solid waste management, and street and drain cleansing activities in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area.
She further added that other assemblies can create tools and equipment banks for the area and town councils to borrow them for their local clean-up exercise.