Bushfire destroys trees along Winneba-Apam road

A larger portion of the Acacia Trees planted along the rehabilitated Winneba Junction-Apam-Mankessim road to re-vegetate the forest and beautify the place had been destroyed by bushfire.

The Winneba Area of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Ghana-USA supplied the tree-seedlings costing millions cedis to farmers in the communities along the road for the programme in 2005.

Mr. Evans Lartey, Winneba Area Manager of ADRA, who disclosed this an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Winneba on Friday said the situation had dampened the high spirit the communities initially had in the tree planting exercise.

According to him after the rehabilitation of the road, which forms part of the Cape Coast-Accra road and also Trans West African Highways, ADRA organised the people along the road to plant trees to provide shade and also re-vegetate the forest that were destroyed during the construction.

Mr. Lartey said ADRA Ghana-USA bought over 20,000 tree seedlings from the Forestry Division of Forestry Service Commission for the exercise at a cost of 1,150 cedis per seedling and also supplied the communities with food for the work. He said no arrest has been made and efforts were being made to purchase some seedlings for replanting and urged the people not to be down-spirited.

He appealed to the people in the area to desist from setting bush fire since the law banning it is still in force. Meanwhile Mr. Lartey had appealed to farmers who have been assisted by ADRA with inputs to repay their loans to enable others to benefit.