'Address sanitation problems at Kibi'

 
A resident of Kibi in the Eastern Region,  Mr Kofi Akresi, has expressed concern about the sanitation practices of the community which are posing a health challenge.

According to him, the waste management system in the community is poor and some of the residents do not observe good sanitation practices either.

Mr  Akresi told the Daily Graphic that due to the absence of waste receptacles in the community, residents dumped refuse, faecal matter and other waste matter at unauthorised places.

He has, therefore, appealed to the government, the Ministry of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency and other concerned bodies to immediately come to the aid of the community to address the challenge.

Mr Akresi indicated that the community's dump site, which is overflowing with rubbish, was close to the chief's palace, but all attempts to get the chief to take the needed action to rectify the situation had proved futile.

According to him, “residents living around the dump site are suffering due to the stench, a situation which worsens when it rains”.

This, he added, had prompted many of them to vacate their homes to seek refuge elsewhere.

He further disclosed that the community hospital, Kibi Hospital, which was near the dump site, also deposited its waste at the dump site.

“It is fascinating how a hospital could be operating close to such a place that is so much engulfed in filth. What is more worrisome is that the hospital also dumps its waste at the place, which is near the houses of community members,” Mr Akresi stated.

He mentioned that schools, churches and other important facilities in the communities were all operating near the dump site, yet none of the authorities had questioned their operations. 

Mr Akresi indicated that to get the situation rectified, he sought legal action at the Community Tribunal at Kibi against the bodies responsible for sanitation in the community, but since the year 1999 the case had only been called  twice.

He called  on the authorities to provide adequate rubbish bins to the community and to also change the current dump site.

He has also called for  laws that would sanction offenders who dumped rubbish at unprescribed places in the community.