The Minister for Works and Housing, Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye, has urged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to enforce sanitation bye-laws, and building and planning regulations to ensure good sanitation practices.
The Minister made the point at the launch of Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development’s (GARID) Social and Behavior Change Communication campaign (SBCC).
He said the indiscriminate dumping of refuse was one of the major causes of flooding in Accra, adding, “Our actions and inaction contribute greatly to the flooding challenges in the country. The government alone cannot ensure that flooding is ceased but would demand a collective effort with the public to implement the GARID project a reality.”
Mr Asenso-Boakye disclosed that the project would include the cleanest market and lorry park award scheme to reward the cleanest markets and lorry terminals.
On her part, the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Mrs Cecilia Abena Dapaah, said the country has not witnessed a cholera outbreak since 2017 due to good sanitation practices achieved through mass public sensitisation.
She stressed that even though floods were not solely caused by the people, the public had a part to play in its mitigation— proper disposal of refuse and adhering to lay down rules in the built environment.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
