Sunyani residents complain about huge refuse dump

Sunyani, April 12, GNA - Residents of Area One in Sunyani have appealed to the Municipal Assembly to remove the mountain of refuse near the Coronation Park to offset the outbreak of cholera in the regional capital.

The residents told the GNA that residents of Area One, Area Two and some parts of Area Three had made that area a refuse dump. "If nothing is immediately done about the situation it will result in the outbreak of cholera and other communicable diseases", one of them who did not want to be identified said.

They said residents of Sunyani should count themselves lucky for being cholera-free unlike some other parts of the country. "This, however, should not mean the municipality will continue to be free from the menace if we do not remove the factors that trigger the occurrence of diseases", they said.

Madam Akua Rahinatu, a food seller, said pungent smell from the dump had affected patronage of the business and that the situation got worse whenever it rained.

She said the Environmental and Sanitation Department of the Municipal Assembly used to collect the refuse 93but for unknown reasons the practice has been stopped and the refuse has piled up to this mountain size to the detriment of the health of residents". "The stench emanating from the spot is serious and some of us are afraid if nothing is immediately done about it your guess can be as good as mine", Madam Rahinatu said.

Mr. Emmanuel Ayiriba, who described himself as a concerned citizen, said the situation had allowed some residents and passers-by to use the place as an unauthorized place of convenience during the night.

"The place is in the middle of the city and needs to be maintained in a hygienic manner to ensure the good health of residents of the regional capital," he said. A source at the Municipal Assembly told the GNA that the refuse would soon be cleared for the area to be used as a car park.