Piles of refuse engulf Accra

Piles of refuse have become a common sight in some markets and communities in Accra, the national capital.

Residents of some communities along the Accra-Nsawam railway line who are unable to access waste management services have also turned the railway buffer zones into refuse dumps.

The Makola Number 2, Agbogbloshie and Kaneshie markets and adjoining areas, including the Zongo Lane, Rawlings Park, Tudu, Graphic Road and Kwame Nkrumah Circle, are engulfed in heaps of waste.

At the Agbogbloshie Market, heaps of refuse compete with traders for space, gutters are choked with garbage, and rats have a field day.

Waste management in the last 10 years has become a key part of campaign promises of political parties as the city authorities struggle to cope with the more than 2,000 tonnes of waste generated by residents daily.

Responding to the concerns about filth in some of the city’s markets, Mr Seth Adzraku, the Public Coordinator of Zoomlion, Accra Region, said the major issue confronting waste service providers was the inability of the government to pay them for their services.   

For its part, the Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA) said the problem was multi-faceted. They included the high cost of using waste transfer stations at Teshie and Achimota and the failure of the AMA to financially support waste management companies to clear the filth in commercial centres.