Dormaa battles combustible waste

Dormaa Ahenkro (B/A) Feb. 27, GNA - Work has begun on the construction of three incinerators estimated at 270 million cedis by the Dormaa District Assembly to control the increasing heaps of combustible waste at Dormaa Ahenkro in the Brong Ahafo region. Two of the facilities have been constructed waiting for the extension of electricity to the sites.

Mr. Augustus Ampaabeng, Presiding Member of the Assembly disclosed this at the annual meeting of the District Environmental Management Committee and the Environmental Sub-Committee of the Assembly at Dormaa Ahenkro. The meeting reviewed decisions of the two committees last year and plans for the future.

Mr. Isaac Osei, Brong Ahafo Regional Programme Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency commended the Fire Service, the National Disaster Management Organization and the Environmental Committees for their efforts that had led to a sharp drop of bushfires in the district.

Mr. Osei suggested to the National Commission for Civic Education to embark on a house-to-house campaign on waste separation to ensure that the incinerators were not choked with undesirable materials. The Programme Officer urged the committees to liase with NGOs in the environment sector, the District Assembly and the Poultry Farmers Association to devise means of re-cycling poultry droppings into compost manure for agricultural purposes.

Mr. Joseph Osei Tweneboa, Chairman of the District Environmental Committee announced that the Assembly's environmental by-laws would be vigorously enforced to improve the situation. He said the Assembly had acquired a six-acre plot to efficiently handle the mounting waste disposal problem. The Committees called for the establishment of a task force to halt the construction of unauthorised structures that hampered the smooth operations of Fire personnel during fire outbreaks.