A massive haul of plastic waste, including takeaway packs, sachets of iced water, and used clothing and worn-out shoes was extracted from the gutters and drains at the Madina Zongo Junction in Accra on Valentine’s Day (February 14,) during a cleanup operation.
The cleanup exercise was a collaborative effort between Onua FM, a member of Media General, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipal Assembly (LaNMMA) and other volunteers.
The operation commenced at 5:45 a.m., starting from the Madina Zongo Junction traffic light, which marks the beginning of the Madina Market, and covering the stretch through to the Madina Post Office.
Waste management giant, Zoomlion, provided a wide range of logistics, including personnel, compaction trucks, shovels, nose masks, rakes, gloves, Wellington Boots, pickers, and wheel barrows.
Scores of shop owners, traders, and hawkers joined Zoomlion and Onua FM to ensure that the Madina market and its surrounding were clean.
The participants desilted the gutters heavily choked with plastics, and tidying up the shoulders of the street from the Zongo Junction traffic light through to the post office.
Compaction trucks were also on site to collect the plastic and other waste pulled out from the gutters and drains. Meanwhile, traders and consumers at the market could not help but cover their noses with handkerchiefs due to the overpowering stench of the waste.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the exercise, a Communications Officer of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, James Deku, stated that his outfit has given special attention to the area because of the growing number of traders and the tons of waste generated on daily basis.
He disclosed that as part of Zoomlion’s special attention to the Madina market, the company has put in place a waste rotational system which ensures cleanliness both at night and during the day.
The night cleaning, he pointed out, starts from 10:00 p.m., when the market and the surrounding area have been emptied of traders, while the day’s exercise begins at 5:00 a.m.
He attributed the choking of the gutters along the street to poor attitudes of traders in the market.
Mr Deku therefore admonished the traders to get waste bins from Zoomlion to ensure that they dump their waste into them for easy collection.
He disclosed that Onua FM requested that Zoomlion partner with them on Valentine’s Day to clean the Madina market and its environs, “which is something we do – partnering with stakeholders to undertake environmental cleanliness.”
While giving the assurance that Zoomlion will continue to ensure environmental cleanliness across the country, he urged the district and municipal assemblies to enforce the sanitation bye-laws and allow the law to deal with offenders.
He also reiterated that sanitation is a collective responsibility, hence the need for every Ghanaian to get involved to ensure that Ghana is clean.
For her part, the host of the Onua 95.1 FM show, Yɛn Nsɛmpa, Nana Yaa Brefo Danso, who participated in the exercise together with her team, explained that they organised the cleanup in collaboration with Zoomlion and others as part of activities lined up for the one-year anniversary of her show.
She underscored that it was about time “we all turned a positive attitude towards our environment and ensured that we all stayed healthy.
She proposed that Parliament grant Zoomlion some powers to prosecute sanitation offenders, serving as a deterrent to others.
This move, she noted, will aim to strengthen enforcement and promote a cleaner environment.
“By giving Zoomlion more authority, the goal is to hold individuals and entities accountable for sanitation violations, ultimately maintaining a healthier community,” she recommended.
Nana Yaa Brefo Danso commended Zoomlion, the traders, and volunteers who participated in the exercise, assuring that they will replicate it in other market centers and areas.