Need to support govt to improve sanitation in Accra

Some of the major talking points in town recently have been about filth, poor drainage systems and pothole riddled roads in many of the communities across the country.

On daily basis, we receive reports and lots of complaints from various parts of the country about insanitary conditions, poor roads and choked drainage among other.

Those who complain about these problems are not only concerned about the existence of such conditions but are also worried about the health implications on the citizenry.

Poor sanitation and drainage systems are major sources of diseases in many parts of the country and the longer they remain unattended to, the more the people are exposed to health hazards in the communities.

To a large extend, poor sanitation is linked to transmission of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea and dysentery among others. In addition, poor sanitation reduces socio-economic development.

The major reasons given for the  sanitation challenges are attitudinal, the inability of local authorities to provide proper waste disposable points, lack of enforcement of sanitation bye-laws, population growth, poor financing of sanitation policies, rural-urban migration and poor sanitation infrastructure.

Of all the above, poor financing of sanitation policies appears to be the major challenge to sanitation in the country today.

And it is for this reason that, we commend the government for approving a $200million credit facility for the proposed Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) project.

The facility which is being contracted from the International Development Association (IDA), is expected to be utilised for the improvement of the drainage and sanitation situation in the nation’s capital.

Outlining what the facility would be used for, the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, explained that the project which would commence immediately after the facility received parliamentary approval and would be spearheaded by four ministries.

He named them as Works and Housing, Sanitation and Water Resources, Zongo Development and Local Government and Rural Development.

The Works and Housing Ministry, he said would use its share for construction of drainage of key water outlets in Accra, including the Odaw River, while the Sanitation Ministry would be responsible for the construction of transfer stations and landfill sites.

“The project is expected to improve flood risk management and solid waste management in the Odaw River Basin and improve access to basic infrastructure and services in the targeted communities within the basin” he emphasised.

The Ghanaian Times applauds the government for the bold step in tackling sanitation problems in the city of Accra.

We are excited because the project is going to boost the efforts of the city authorities to work toward attaining the target of Accra becoming the cleanest city in Africa.

We are hopeful that parliament would approve the facility quickly to enable the four ministries to begin work as soon as possible.

We are optimistic that the project when completed would bring the desired environmental change that we all earnestly want to see in Accra.

It is our hope that the public would offer it maximum support not only for the project but also contribute by way of attitudinal change so that Accra would overcome its sanitation challenges.