Kwabenya residents still opposed to landfill project

Accra, Jan. 13, GNA - Residents of Agyemankata, the community near the Kwabenya Landfill Project site, on Tuesday went on demonstration vowing that they would continue to oppose the location of a landfill in the area.

The residents, who tried to confront Assembly Members of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, who were undertaking a day's duty tour of the area to inspect the extent of work done, swore they would fight to death.

"We are resolved not to allow the dumping of waste here," they chanted.

Mr Ben M. Laryea, Director of Waste Management of AMA, in an interview with the GNA after the tour said the second phase, which involved the lining of the pit with clay to prevent seepage of liquid discharge from the waste into the underlying soil would begin soon. The first phase, which started in July 2001 and ended in January 2002, involved the construction of access roads, a culvert and storm drains after which the project come to a halt.

The residents claimed the project was halted because they petitioned the British High Commission to get TAYSEC, the contractors of the project, off the site.

However, Mr Laryea said the Contractor left the site because the first phase had been completed.

He said AMA was seeking funding to complete the project, which would have all the facilities to qualify for a modern engineered landfill.

"The Kwabenya landfill would pose no problem to the Kwabenya community since it is about seven kilometres from the Kwabenya Township," he said.

Mr Laryea accepted the fact that no proper acquisition of the land at Kwabenya had been done except for the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the family, which owned the land, and AMA.

He said the total land area earmarked for the project is 172.5 hectares and out of that 132 hectares belonged to one main family and modalities were being put in place for proper acquisition. Mr Laryea said owners of structures within the project site and those around the buffer zone would qualify for compensation. He said: "Only those with proper documents would be compensated."

A visit to the Oblogo site by the Assembly Members and the Media revealed that rubbish dumped at the over 100 metres deep quarry site had almost reached surface level.

Mr Laryea said the old quarry had to be filled to prevent any disaster since it was within an earthquake zone.

Touching on measures that were being taken to control the stench from the Oblogo site, Mr Laryea said deodorizing of the area was being done on a regular basis and had become a source of employment for some residents.

"We also spray the flies regularly to control them," he said.