The Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (ASHMA) has marked the World Clean-up Day with an intensive three-in-one sanitation and dredging exercise. The exercise targeted chronic environmental challenges along the major Gbeblemɛ storm drain at the New Town Bridge. The exercise was led by Mr Freeman Tsekpo, the Ashaiman Municipal Chief Executive (MCE).
Mr Tsekpo expressed deep concern over the misuse of the municipal water channels by residents who had turned sections of the storm drain into unauthorised refuse dumps. He outlined a dual-pronged strategy to permanently resolve the sanitation breach. The strategy involves using extra hands and heavy machinery to remove all the refuse dumped at the site and setting up a satellite monitoring system.
As part of community policing initiatives, the MCE announced that local pig farm owners operating near the area had been engaged to act as environmental wardens to deter illegal dumping. The Gbeblemɛ channel serves as the primary storm drain for Ashaiman, running under the jurisdiction of the Hydrological Services Department of the Ministry of Works and Housing.
The MCE reiterated the assembly’s continuous lobbying efforts to upgrade the aging earth drain into a modern, fully constructed concrete storm drain. Previous overflows have notably caused major floods in 2010, 2018, and minor incidents up to 2024, severely threatening residents. Massive dredging and desilting works undertaken at the Adjei-Kojo exit point successfully prevented severe flooding during recent seasonal rains.
Mr Tsekpo acknowledged that the pressure on local sanitation infrastructure remains exceptionally high as Ashaiman’s population exceeded 300,000 alongside intense commercial activity. To counter this, the assembly is aggressively pushing waste segregation policies separating plastic and organic waste backed by municipal partnerships with smart plastic recycling networks and firms like Safisana.
The assembly has partnered with firms like Safisana, which converts organic waste and faecal matter into electricity. The MCE commended assembly members, unit committee members, and residents for rallying behind concurrent cleanup exercises across various electoral areas, to safeguard public health and promote sustainable municipal development.
The World Clean-up Day exercise is part of a broader effort to address sanitation challenges in Ashaiman. The exercise also highlights the need for sustained efforts to address the root causes of sanitation breaches and promote a culture of cleanliness among residents.
Key points
- The Ashaiman Municipal Assembly has launched a dual-pronged strategy to address sanitation breaches along the Gbeblemɛ storm drain.
- The assembly has partnered with local pig farm owners to act as environmental wardens to deter illegal dumping.
- Ashaiman's population has exceeded 300,000, putting pressure on local sanitation infrastructure.
