The Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A) in the northern region has hinted that, it will take the Tamale metropolitan Assembly to court over the poor management of the Tamale landfill site at Gbalahi, a farming community in the Sagnarigu district of the Tamale north constituency.
The EPA says the assembly has failed in managing the landfill site and sanitation situation in the metropolis and the only way to protect the environment and the people is through law court.
The failure and inaptitude of the assembly towards the landfill site management is putting six farming communities’ lives in danger which EPA say is unacceptable.
The source of water for 2 thousand five hundred people from Gbalahi, Saguli, Kulaa Wavogu, Gumani, and Kultaliga have been polluted by the liquid waste discharged at the landfill site.
Residents close to the site say they cannot longer withstand the stanch from the site and threaten to block all vehicles from dumping the waste at the site.
They feared they could contract respiratory diseases, cholera and malaria because they are birthing polluted air everyday and mosquitoes has no season in the communities near the land fill site.
Under the agreement of the management of the site, the assembly was mandated to fumigate the surrounding communities and the landfill site frequently to protect the communities from sanitation related diseases but has failed to honor their responsibility.
Litters cited by Zaa News indicate that the assemblyman of the area has consistently requested that the communities be fumigated and the site managed properly but to no avail. In October 10, 2013, the communities wrote to the Tamale metropolitan assembly, the police, Sagnarigu district assembly, MP for Tamale north and E.P.A notifying them about their intention to ban both liquid and solid waste dumping.
The letter which is the possession of Zaa News was signed by the paramount chief of Nantong Traditional area, Alhaji Sule Ahassan. Two fumigation forms from Zoomlion Ghana cited by Zaa News also indicated that fumigation was done only in November and September 2011.
Equipment such as compactor meant to manage the site is standing idle at the well designed only landfill site in the northern region.
Our checks at the site reveals that the waste management director of the assembly has no clue as how many pipes are at the site are faulty and he only visit the place occasionally especially, when white people or donor partners in sanitation sector are in town.
Responding to the communities concerns, Assistant director of waste management unit at the assembly Mr Hamid said the assembly has not left out the site and are preparing to address the site problems. He also denied that the place has not been fumigating frequently.
This is not the first time the people of Gbalahi /Kulaa electoral area have been subjected to this kind of treatment at the time governments across the globe are committing huge sum of money in fighting sanitation problems.
The government of Ghana has even instituted first Saturday of every month as national sanitation day and yet some assemblies are playing to the gallery contrary to what the appointing authorities are preaching.
In 2013, under leadership of the former mayor of Tamale, Alhaji Abdulai Friday the people of the Gbalahi electoral area became fed-up with the intransigent assembly and blocked the road preventing vehicles from dumping the waste at the site. The then Tamale has Tamale mayor has no option but to used police to allow dumping. This time around, the communities has warned the assembly not to make attempt because if they, they will resist it.
Speaking to Zaa News, the northern regional director of EPA, Mr Abu Iddrisu who was upset about the assembly’s lukewarm attitudes towards sanitation said if the assembly thinks government agency cannot suit another government agency, they are joking.
The EPA Boss reveals that, he has written about thirteen letters to assembly all in connection with management of the landfill site after visiting the place for almost 36 times but receive no responses.
Mr Abu suspect the waste management director at the assembly lacked competency to deal with sanitation situation in Tamale and ask why he should not be removed to save innocent lives from being lost through cholera and related diseases.
The poor management of the site has led to children from Tamale metro and Sagnarigu district scavenging for all manner of dirty things exposing them to a lot of health hazards. Smoke from the site during dry season inundates Gbalahi community compelling inhabitants to breath in everyone has to endure it.
Categories:
