Following media reports on the illegal dumping of refuse by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) at a site purported to be part of the catchment area of the Owabi dam, and the outcry raised by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about the effect of dumping refuse there, the KMA has halted further dumping of refuse at the disputed area.
The assembly has directed Zoom lion, the waste management agent, contracted to dump solid waste at Amanfrom, a farming community near Barekese to halt further dumping of refuse in the community immediately and seal it with laterite.
The directives, according to the KMA, was to enable the EPA to study a proposal presented on the dumping site and either accept or reject the proposal.
The sealing of the site with laterite was also to reduce the stench that had engulfed Amanfrom and its environs as well as the mosquitoes and houseflies it bred.
The assembly has also assured the EPA that it would create a sump to suck all effluent from the solid waste to avoid contaminating any water body in the area.
The KMA has further assured the EPA that it is collaborating with the Department of Town and Country Planning to conduct a technical search on its operations at Amanfrom, the outcome of which would determine its next line of action.
The Waste Management Director of the KMA, Mr Tony Mensah, who briefed the Daily Graphic on the latest development, stressed: “We are going to halt further transportation of solid waste at the Amanfrom dump site and we have also initiated technical search to ascertain the suitability or otherwise of dumping solid waste there”,
He explained that their collaboration with the Town and Country Planning Department was already underway and that was why they had directed the Zoomlion to suspend further dumping of solid waste at Amanfrom, and to seal the site with laterite.
A source at the Lands Department expressed concern about the operations of the KMA at Amafrom, and pointed out that it was unfortunate for the metropolitan assembly to deposit solid waste at Amanfrom without waiting for approval from the EPA.
The source said taking the effect of dumping tons of solid waste at Amanfrom into consideration, the KMA should have first constructed a sump at the site and as way of preventing any leachate “ because even a drop of affluent into any water body could have devastating effect on the lives of consumers”.
“ The KMA has said they will construct a sump as a way of sucking away the affluent from the Amanfrom refuse site and deposit it at the Oti land fill site, but how soon they will do it is the problem. It is important for the KMA to commit itself to the construction of the sump as soon as possible to prevent the outbreak of an epidemic”.
Barely a week ago, a section of the youth at Amanfrom blocked the road leading to the refuse site to prevent trucks conveying refuse from depositing it at the site.
The youth complained that the stench that emanated from the site, coupled with the breeding of houseflies and mosquitoes, made it very difficult for them to enjoy sound sleep at night.
About four months ago, the EPA ordered the KMA to seal off tonnes of solid waste dumped at Amanfrom, which it considered to be part of the catchment’s area of the Owabi dam, threatening that it would institute legal action against the assembly if it flouted the EPA’s directives.
According to the EPA, some of the materials that had been dumped at the site contained poisonous chemicals, which could be very difficult to treat when they polluted the dam.
The Owabi dam is one of the main sources of potable water supply for residents within the Kumasi metropolis and its environs.
When the attention of the Ashanti Regional Director of the EPA, Mrs Philomina Boakye Appiah’s,was drawn to the fact that the KMA was still dumping refuse at Amanfrom, she gave the assurance that she would conduct her own investigations and take immediate action to halt further dumping of solid waste there.
Explaining the stance of the EPA, Mrs Boakye Appiah said apart from the danger of polluting the Owabi dam, making the cost of treatment very huge, at the expense of the state, the solid waste also posed serious health hazards to residents of Amanfrom.
“ The stench that fills their homes, coupled with the insects they attract and their health implications, informed us to stop the KMA from dumping refuse at the place and completely seal off what they had dumped to avoid any health hazard,” she stressed
She further explained that some computers which contained some poisonous metals “had also been dumped alongside the solid waste, and this can cause serious health problems, so it is important for the KMA to seal off the site as soon as possible to prevent the waste materials from polluting any water body “.
On using the site for the construction of houses in future, Mrs Boakye Appiah said “ the action is very dangerous because after the waste had decomposed, the area would emit gas that could explode in future to destroy lives and property”.
She said besides, any structure on such a land could sink in future, especially after the waste had decomposed “ and that can have a devastating effect on those who occupy such structures”.
“The area is very delicate and sensitive, and should therefore, not be used as dumping ground for any waste. The KMA has alternative places to dump refuse, so we will not take this lightly if they ignore our orders,” she noted.
Earlier in an interview with the Officer for Communication Department of the Ghana Water Company, Mr Haruna Asoga, on the effect of dumping waste materials at Amanfrom, he said, notwithstanding the problem being created, “it was only the EPA which had the mandate to stop people from dumping waste at unapproved sites”.
“ It is likely to undermine our operations because as the rains set in, the waste will easily decompose and the effluent can easily pollute the dam, which is one of the main sources of potable water for some residents in the Kumasi metropolis”
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