Ghana: Filthy, Environmentally Unfriendly and Noisy?

A lot has been written and said about the rot that is ravaging the moral fabric of Ghanaian society. From GYEEDA, GFA, CUSTOMS and judgment debts to the daily thievery, robbery and extortions taking place in high and low places, it's the same old story, and there seems to be no end to the Ghanaian's suicidal attitude in what concerns his wellbeing! Paradoxically, Ghanaians 'believe' in godliness and purity of the soul and spirit, but this is hardly reflected on the outside in our dealings with one another and in our attitude towards nation-building or in our interaction with our physical environment. All that is reflected is the putrefying stench of corruption that is stinking to the heavens from the very soul of our nation and visibly symbolized in the waste-(plastic) littered street, 'trotro' / bus station, market, choked gutter, scummy canal and similar countless sights across the length and breadth of our country!

It is depressing to observe how deep Ghana has fallen in the little but important aspects of national life; things that have become serious problems, but which by any measure of sanity, shouldn't be!

WASTE DISPOSAL
'People defecate into polythene bags while others buy and eat all sorts of food in plastics. The result is the terrible situation we see around. Plastics everywherepolythene waste accounts for about 80% of refuse produced nationwide, blocking drains and causing flooding. Such ponds have become the breeding grounds for many parasites and germs causing diseases like cholera, typhoid, hepatitis and polioIf government does not put more effort into helping people to change their attitude, more money invested into sanitation could have been used in other sectors like infrastructure, education, and health.' (Dr. Kyei Fareed, Director of the Disease Control Department of the Ghana Health Services in a recent Ghanaweb article calling for a total ban on plastics.)

Indeed, unlike plant and animal matter, plastic material is non-biodegradable and can 'survive' in the ground for hundreds of years when it is not properly treated and disposed. Plastic products as food containers or water sachets have become the most commonly used items in buying and selling in Ghana in the last twenty years or more. Which Ghanaian or visitor to Ghana doesn't know them, the ubiquitous polythene bag and 'pure' water sachet? Apparently, they are more 'convenient' to use than textile, straw, jute or paper containers, but the convenience comes with a very high price. As waste, they litter our environment in both rural and urban areas, thus, posing serious environmental and health hazards. As emphasized by Dr. Fareed, the problem is taking on chronic dimensions and calls for radical measures to curb it.

It is not enough to mount big billboards or run programs on TV and radio asking Ghanaians to keep their nation clean. We have to walk the talk! Where attempts to raise awareness about proper waste disposal don't bring the needed results, our lawmakers could consider passing a law banning the use of certain plastic products altogether, the polythene bag and water sachet in this case. Rwanda has done it with some remarkable level of success, and which goes to show that where there is a will, there is always a way. Preventive care is the best form of good health promotion.

Having gotten used to sorting waste into categories; biodegradable, non-biodegradable, glass and paper as it's the practice in almost every German home, school, office and public place, I always feel very uncomfortable having to witness the indiscriminate manner waste is treated in Ghana whenever I visit the beloved land of my birth. Waste in our country is a mixture of everything, with plastic waste topping the list. And people drop or leave it wherever they are. And when it rains and the waste mixes with mud and water, the sight is indescribably nauseating!

I remember being caught in traffic in Accra during a torrential rain last year. The open gutters along the full length of the road were overflowing with all sorts of rubbish; empty tins, rags, charcoal, pieces of wood and, above all, plastic waste! When I passed that way the next day, much of the waste had been washed onto both the sides of the road, 'vomited' onto it by the rain water trapped in the choked gutters!

President Mahama raised concerns about improper waste disposal and its negative effects on the environment and health promotion during one of the presidential debates preceding the December 2012 elections. It is my hope that his administration would give the matter the attention it needs. Ideally, a complete ban on the use of polythene carrier bags, plastic wrappers and sachets is the solution. It may take some time for people to adjust to the 'inconvenience' of doing without these items, but in the end Ghanaians would be grateful to have gotten rid of them when they start enjoying the resultant benefits: our streets would be clean, the gutters would be given the breathing space they direly need and the risk of bacterial infections like cholera or typhoid would be minimized.

A ban would also make people think of alternatives which could include the use of environmentally friendly bags such as those made of textile, paper, leather or straw and which can be used several times. Producers of such items would benefit economically when more of their items are in demand. Actively reviving the function of the good old 'samasama' within the ministry of health and placing more rubbish containers at vantage points in our streets, markets and bus and 'trotro' stations are practicable preliminary measures. Alongside raising awareness about the numerous advantages of a clean environment the indiscriminate littering of public places should be made an offence that is punishable by a fine!

RECREATIONAL PARKS AND TREES
Most streets in our cities and towns are bare when it comes to trees, and there are hardly recreational parks and gardens worth mentioning, Aburi and a few others being the exception. I live in a city (Hamburg) that is very green, with leisure parks provided in almost every neighborhood where people wishing to escape the hustle and bustle of the city can retire to relax and have some tranquility. 98% of the streets of Hamburg (and all over Germany) are lined with trees.There are also many big parks covering several acres of land where various activities are possible; having a barbecue with family or friends in summer, jogging, going for a walk, etc. These places are equipped with benches and playgrounds for children. What strikes me during the first days of a visit to Ghana is the lack of trees along our streets. The beautiful trees lining the short stretch of road between the airport and the main road to the city or Tetteh Quarshie in the opposite direction seem to be an exception in the capital. There may be such greenery in other parts of the city, but must one travel round the city to discover them?

I also picture vividly the 'naked' roads leading into and passing through some of our major cities. While travelling to the North by bus, I was struck by the nakedness of the nice road between Ejisu and Kumasi, the so-called Garden city of Ghana. The same applies to the main road that passes through Tamale and Bolgatanga and Paga. There are no trees along it, neither are these found in the middle part separating the lanes in each direction. I noticed indications that trees were probably part of the original plan of the road, but the very few trees I saw there, and which have survived the dryness and scotching sun as well as the neglect of the municipal administration, have withered badly! Worst still the sides of the road were littered with plastic waste, as in the case of the Ejisu-Kumasi road!

When the bus passed the newly built Tamale Sports Stadium, I began to wonder if town and city planning meant anything at all to us! The stadium could have been 'standing' anywhere in the Sahara Desert if not on Mars! No greenery! The most conspicuous objects that caught the eye were beautiful SUVs and other expensive cars parked outside the structure.

And parts of one of Dr. Kweggir Aggrey's famous speeches in which he talked about black people blindly imitating white people immediately came to mind. If we see beauty in the white man's cars, why do we fail to see the beauty in his well-planned green environment? Are we blind to such aesthetic beauty? Do we take delight in walking or riding in the scorching sun and in waste littered streets? Are planting and growing trees, establishing green parks and keeping our environment clean that difficult to do?

NOISE
Most parts of our cities, towns and villages are not only filthy and tree-unfriendly but very noisy as well. There is no running away from this fact! The combination of noise and the sight of littered streets and public places torment the senses and spirit in a nasty way. And as if the noise of vehicles and street vendors and hawkers is not enough, kiosk operators compete with one another in loudness, each turning up the volume of their music to intolerable decibels. The noise pursues you to bed. The singing and loud preaching in neighboring Churches and the equally loud music from drinking bars usually go deep into the night, making a sound sleep impossible. And when it finally stops and you fall into deep sleep, this is cut short at dawn. The noise starts all over again! And woe betides you when you find yourself on a long journey by bus. The noise is a combination of loud music, engine sound, preaching and advertising. When my German companion travelled with me on an STC bus from Accra to Bolgatanga, his sense of hearing was impaired for more than a week. And each time I return to Hamburg after visiting Ghana, I become very susceptible to noise even though noise control works here very well. It takes time to shake off the noise of Ghana that accumulates in the head and re-echoes in the ears!

Is Ghana a noisy, filthy and environmentally unfriendly country? I leave each reader to his or her own judgment!

Ghanatta Ayaric, Hamburg. Email: [email protected]