Ho-Dome residents call for relocation of dump site

Residents of Ho-Dome, a suburb of Ho Municipality, are demanding the immediate relocation of a dumpsite close to the public toilet.

They told the Ghana News Agency that the location of the dumpsite was inappropriate as the stench emanating from it was unbearable and likely to pose a serious public health threat to them.

They claimed the site had blocked access to their homes, making it difficult for motorists to navigate with ease.

Reverend Richard Agezo, Head of Crown of Glory Deliverance Ministry Church, said all efforts to get city authorities in the last two months to find a solution to it had proven futile.

He said Church services got disrupted at times because of the stench from the dump and expressed fear it could trigger an outbreak of diseases.

Hellen Agbodza, another resident, described the situation as very bad, saying the refuse sometimes spread all over the road thereby making it difficult for motorists to access it, and appealed for urgent action to address it to avert any possible outbreak of cholera.

She said when it rained, the running water carried refuse from the dump to their homes, creating lots of insanitary conditions and attracting flies.

Madam Agbodza appealed to the Municipal Assembly and Zoomlion to supply each household with garbage bins to collect refuse for onward dislodging at the appropriate site to improve sanitation in the area.

In an interview with GNA, Mr. Solomon Afedzi, Ho Municipal Manager of Zoomlion said the refuse had not been collected because the Municipal dumping site could no longer contain the increasing refuse generated in the Municipality.

"A bulldozer was needed at the dumping site to level the heap of refuse to create more space at the site for which funds have been released," he said.

He said work on the Municipal dump site started on Monday and that refuse was evacuated from the waste buckets.

Mr. Afedzi said the clearance of the rubbish on the ground would also be taken care of by the end of the week and assured that a strategy was in place to guard against recurrence.

Mr. Anthony Bruce, the Assembly-man for Wusu-Dome Electoral Area said his outfit was aware of the situation and was working to get it addressed.