Ntunkumso residents complains of unhygienic disposal of faecal matter

Ntunkumso (Ash), Mar 06, GNA - Residents of Ntunkumso, a farming community in the Sekyere East District, have raised strong protests about the siting of a liquid waste disposal dump in the community by the District Assembly.

According to Mr. Padmore Opoku, the Unit Committee Chairman, for Ntunkumso, the feacal waste, dislodged from households and public places of convenience in the Effiduase and Asokore townships, is dumped on this site located very close to the township.

He told the Ghana News Agency that the dump site is located on a slope that overlooks the Oworam River, a source of drinking water to the Ntunkumso community and the other peripheral villages that the river spans.

“The powerful stench emitted by the effluent from the site, which also drains directly into the river, poses a serious health risk to the inhabitants, since majority of the people utilize the water source for their household chores and irrigation.

‘‘Our families depend on this river for drinking, cooking and other key home activities. Our farmers who are mainly into sugar cane, rice, cultivation, among others, also utilize the river for irrigation and the washing of their inputs’’.

Mr Opoku said that persistent appeals sent by the community leadership to the District Assembly to change the situation since about six years ago, had fallen on deaf years.

He called on civil society groups, development partners, and the relevant authorities, to come to their aid, by prevailing upon the District Assembly to halt the unhygienic practice, since that was taking a toll on the health, productivity and livelihood of the people.

The Unit Committee Chairman said community members have threatened a violent demonstration if nothing was done about the situation in the next three weeks.

Madam Adwoa Pokuaah, a 50 year old woman speaking on behalf of the community’s oil palm milling centre said their business was collapsing as people were refusing to patronize their finished products because of the perception that they might use the water from the river to process the products.

Mr. Emmanuel Adjei Baafi, the Assembly Member for the Area and the Presiding Member for the Assembly, said he had taken various steps to urge the Assembly to curtail the situation, but this has not been successful.

When contacted, Mr. Charles Attah-Mensah, the District Coordinating Director, speaking on behalf of the Assembly, said the Assembly was putting in place the necessary measures to end the situation as soon as possible.

He urged the community members to cooperate with the Assembly as it followed due process to fix the challenge.

Ms. Mahama Meiri, the District Environmental Health Officer said field assessment on the site had been conducted recently and the necessary recommendations made to the Assembly.

GNA

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