Sanitation Ministry Launches Street Litter Bin Programme, Deploys 5,100 Litter Bins In 7 Regions

Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah has revealed that her Ministry has launched a ‘Street Litter Bin Programme’ which she believes will help control public littering in the country.

According to her, about 5,100 litter bins have been deployed in Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ashanti, Central, Greater Accra, Northern, Oti, Volta and Western Regions to help make the programme a success.

Addressing the media in Accra on Wednesday, Madam Dapaah said “An additional 3,000 bins are currently being deployed out of which 600 have been donated to the Ministry of Defence for distribution to the Armed Forces. 400 of the bins have also been delivered to the Ministry of the Interior for distribution to the other Security Services”

She charged the public to cooperate by depositing only litter generated while on the street, into these bins and not to fill them with household waste.

She explained that the management of solid waste, especially within the Municipalities over the years has been plagued with numerous challenges.

In response to the overwhelming sanitation challenges, the Ministry, under the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development Project (GARID), has secured a parcel of land to construct an Engineered Sanitary Landfill and a Materials Recovery Facility in the Ga West Municipality. In addition, two Transfer Stations will be constructed at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission and the Adentan Municipality respectively.

“Two major dumpsites at Abokobi and Agbogbloshie (Old Fadama) will be capped. Expression of Interest (EOI) for Consultancy Services for Detailed Engineering Design (DED) and construction supervision for the Landfill and Capping components have been received and are being evaluated. Hon. Chairman, following Cabinet approval to decommission and re-engineer the Kpone and Oti Landfill sites, the Ministry has engaged Messrs Zoomlion Ghana Limited to undertake the decommissioning and re- engineering works at the two sites” she revealed.

She hinted that the contractor has mobilised to the two sites and works are progressing steadily.

Madam Dapaah also explained that the Ministry has also procured Messrs. EAP Consult Limited, a local Engineering firm as Consultants to supervise the project to ensure quality control.

“The Greater Accra Sustainable Sanitation and Livelihood Improvement Project (GASSLIP) has also procured thirty (30) Communal Waste Containers (Skips) and distributed to all the MMAs within the GAMA. 24 motor powered small vehicles have been procured to further improve solid waste collection within GAMA” she said.

She also explained that to ensure effective monitoring of Sanitation service delivery, the Ministry, in partnership with Jospong Group of Companies, is providing 5 pickup vehicles to the Ministry of Defence.

Speaking on Liquid Waste, she mentioned that the Ministry through the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area Sanitation and Water Project (GAMA-SWP) has within the project period provided access to improved toilet facilities to serve over 225,960 low income people in 28,245 households in the GAMA.

She said “Under the same project, 240 fit-for-purpose, gender and disability friendly school sanitation facilities have been provided to over 231,872 school pupils of low income communities in the GAMA. Construction is ongoing for a 4,000-household capacity simplified sewerage system in Ashaiman New Town and 900 household capacity simplified sewerage system to benefit households in Bankuman community of Tema Metropolitan Area”

She added that in support of the Ministry of Works and Housing, the Ministry through the GAMA-SWP, expanded and lined a total of 23km length of drainage channels; 32km of unlined drainage channels have also been desilted and fifteen (15) culverts have been reconstructed to enhance free flow of storm water.

Madam Dapaah hinted that the completion of these priority tertiary drainage works has helped to reduce the perennial flooding that hitherto led to loss of lives and property as well as to mitigate the high risks that results from poor environmental sanitation management.

She said “Hon. Chairman, the Ministry has also commenced the construction of 5,000 household toilet facilities within the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area under the GASSLIP. The construction works are at various stages of completion. It is anticipated that by end of December 2020, all the facilities would have been completed which would benefit 50,000 people”

Speaking on the Urban Sanitation Pilot Project, she mentioned that a total of 21,332 household latrines have been constructed in Tamale, Ho and Ashaiman and 30 basic schools have also gained access to improved toilets.

“The cumulative result of the various interventions by Government and other partners is the construction of a total of over 107,000 household toilets, which are benefiting approximately 856,000 persons across the country over the last three years as at June, 2020. Ladies and Gentlemen, access to improved sanitation in Ghana currently stands at 21%, the cumulative impact of all the afore-mentioned interventions is expected to reflect in the next Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS) Report” she said.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith