MMDAs in Greater Accra get waste transfer sites
Plans are advanced to provide waste transfer sites for each Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDA) in the Greater Accra Region to ensure the disposal of refuse within the various MMDAs to avoid travelling long distances to dispose of waste.
Accordingly, all MMDAs were directed to provide Site Plans for the waste transfer stations to be constructed.
Mr Henry Quartey, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, made this known at the Regional Coordinating Council Meeting in Accra.
In fulfilment of the mandate of the Council, the meeting will strengthen the Region’s decentralized system of Governance, deepen popular participation, and harmonize its plans and programmes to collectively achieve the overall development of the Region.
Article 255 (1) of the 1992 Constitution prescribes for the establishment of Regional Coordinating Councils and per section 191 of the Local Governance Act 2016, (Act 936), the Council is obliged to meet at least twice a year and shall hold any other meetings that the Council considers necessary.
The Minister said, so far, some waste transfer sites located at Mallam, Ashaiman and Abokobi were currently at various stages of construction whilst areas such as Achimota, Teshie and Ringway have their sites operational.
He said the first City Response Team had duly completed training and dispatched to assist MMDAs as well in enforcing bye-laws in the various Assemblies across the Region.
“The Team has been supporting the MMDAs in the areas of education on good waste management and sanitation practices, especially under the “Operation Clean Your Frontage” campaign as well control indiscipline in the areas of selling and parking at unauthorized areas,” he said.
Mr Quartey said the Operation Clean Your Frontage Secretariat at Asylum Down was commissioned to, among other things, monitor the activities of the City Response Team to ensure enforcement and adherence to the “Operation Clean Your Frontage” by-law.
He said this would promote effective collaboration among MMDAs, Private sector operators, corporate organizations, institutions, community members and individuals to take up full responsibility for effective waste management in the Greater Accra Region.
The Minister said under the agenda, the various MMDAs have deployed systematic approaches to sensitize residents, corporate organizations and community members on their roles and responsibilities in waste management to create extensive awareness of Sanitation and Cleaning Bye-laws and commit to enforcing the bye-laws.
“To ensure coordinated efforts in waste management in the region and judicious use of resources, the RCC will also continue to facilitate and coordinate the preparation and implementation of a composite work plan, ensure public-private sector operator engagements to share ideas and strategies that would help resolve the waste and sanitation challenges in the region,” he added.
He said sanitation had been identified as a major development challenge and one of the top priorities on the Development Agenda for the country and the region.
The Minister said transforming the Region, most importantly, the City of Accra in tandem with the President’s vision required an attitudinal change, tenacity of purpose, hard work and enforcement of the various bye-laws on sanitation.
“As part of efforts to make accessible good sanitation facilities for the citizens of this region, the ‘Operation Clean Your Frontage’ campaign is being implemented at the various MMDAs to promote good and personal hygiene in our homes and workplaces and a clean environment at our public places,” he said.
Mr Quartey said additionally, waste handling and its disposal was a burden on the Region and large quantities of waste were generated daily at interchanges, pavements, walkways, bus stops and streets which have been invaded by hawkers and beggars.
He said the poor state of solid and liquid waste management in the areas of collection, transportation, storage, and final disposal had not created only an environmental problem, but the health of the Citizenry.
He said the sanitation and waste management component of the “Let’s Make Greater Accra Work” Agenda, therefore, considered effective waste management as very critical due to the high urbanization of the Greater Accra Region.
Source: GNA