Clearing of piled refuse in Accra begins

The Waste Management Department of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) on Thursday began collecting piled up refuse in the city to a new landfill site at Djama near Gbawe in Accra.

"At the moment refuse vehicles have started emptying at the site without any difficulty ", Sheikh Ibrahim Quaye, Greater Accra Regional Minister, said.

He said an agreement has been reached with the chief of Gbawe and the youth, which includes fencing of the site and contracting the youth to spray the site.

Other terms of the agreement are building of a first class road from Weija to the site and rehabilitation of the dilapidated local school building. ''These measures are to forestall any friction between the youth of the town and AMA. But these are temporary measures that may give us the respite to look for new technology to dispose of waste in the future," the minister said.

Sheikh Quaye said many firms and individuals have expressed interest in recycling waste including Mr Charles Wayo, a businessman, but they are yet to present extensive and concrete proposals.

He said the regional coordinating council would assist any private organisation or individual who wants to go into waste processing.