Former Greater Accra Regional Minister and former Tema East MP, Titus Nii Kwartei Glover, has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the operators of an illegal waste disposal site along the banks of the Densu and Weija rivers.Â
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Glover expressed concern that the practice poses a serious threat to public health and water security as the river serves as a major source of water for several communities in the Greater Accra Region.
“I don’t know how to describe it. How can we do this to ourselves? The health hazard is something we must follow keenly. As a matter of urgency, we must arrest the person who set up the refuse dump site and decommission the refuse dump, while the assembly monitors it. The Greater Accra Regional Minister must also summon the MCE right now to her office, and we must make sure we clear the place,” he stated.
Mr. Glover’s comment comes after a section of an unauthorised refuse landfill site, believed to contain an uncontrolled mix of municipal, industrial and e-waste, including heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic and chromium, was washed into the Weija Lake.
The illegal site, reportedly created along the banks of the River Jei at American Farm in Ngleshie Amanfro in the Ga South Municipality of the Greater Accra Region by an unknown property developer, was allegedly used to fill the waterway for a commercial project.
The waste was swept into the Weija Lake following Wednesday’s heavy flooding in the area.
According to him, many of those responsible appear unconcerned about the impact of their actions on the environment and the wider community.
“They don’t care about the nuisance it is going to cause, the inconvenience it will create, or the danger it poses. Until we are able to arrest and punish people, this behaviour will continue,” he stated.
Mr Glover stressed that the problem should not be viewed through a political lens, insisting that it is a matter of public attitude and responsibility.
“This has nothing to do with any government. It is an attitudinal issue. It is about our character and how we treat our environment,” he said.
He pointed to similar cases of indiscriminate waste disposal across the country, particularly in urban drainage systems.
He maintained that strict enforcement of environmental laws remains critical to addressing the problem and preventing further pollution of the country’s water bodies.
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