WEIJA LAKE NOW REFUSE DUMP SITE: 3 Million Lives at Risk, Kasoa Toll Booth to be Relocated

Hawkers at the Kasoa Toll Booth, area now market

Government will soon give a green light for relocation of the Kasoa Toll Booth, the Manual can reveal with authority.

This is because activities of residents, hawkers and motorists around where the toll booth is located are gradually polluting the Weija Lake.

The lake serves as a source where Ghana Water Company Limited draws and treats water for over three million people in Western Accra and parts of Central Region.

The Manual has established series of human activities including dumping of both solid and liquid waste into the Lake which has now culminated the pollution of the Weija Lake in the Ga South Municipality.

Reports gathered state that the area is ecologically sensitive and it is important the toll booth is moved into a more convenient location whereas all illegal structures along the lake will be demolished in next coming weeks. This is to protect the river body which serves more than 50% of the population of Accra.

Revealing more on this development, Chief Basin Officer of Densu Secretariat of the Water Resources Commission (WRC), Dr. Ronald Abrahams said that the commission had already discussed the matter with the Ga South Municipal Assembly and will soon carry out the project.

     

“What we [WRC] have done is to consult with the Minister for Roads and Highways who is about to give his word on the removal of the toll booth because the toll booth represents some form of encroachment because at the time it was being constructed, the highways did not seek permit from the Ga South Municipal Assembly. They also did not obtain permits from the Environmental Protection Agency before embarking upon the construction of the booth”, he told the Manual. 

 “So we have actually discussed the matter with the Ga South Municipal Assembly and we are moving the toll booth a little further into an area which is not as ecologically sensitive as where it finds itself now’, he added again.

Downstream Polluted Weija Lake

According to him, a team of experts will soon engage measures to get rid of all trading and commercial activities, sale of stone chippings and all forms of activities along the lake. 

To ensure that this project is carried out successfully and maintained to its maximum best, the Densu Chief Officer noted that the area will be fenced-off to prevent encroachment because at the time of construction of the toll booth, such environmental consequences were not considered.

ADVOCACY 

With regards to education and advocacy, Dr. Abrahams noted that the Water Resources Commission has been carrying out some public advocacy on pollution and encroachment, which he noted is a major problem within the Densu Basin and especially around the Weija Lake where Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has been treating water for most of the population of Accra. It was gathered that for over 10 years, the commission had engaged the people around the lake through media programmes and community durbars to sensitize them on the consequences of pollution.  

“Over the years, we have tried to carry out radio panel discussion programmes, TV programmes, community durbars and educative programmes in schools to ensure that residents living in communities along the Weija Lake do not engage in activities that pollutes the water. That has been the trend. Recently, we have tried to instill discipline into the area by clearing structures that are not supposed to be in places that we find them now”, the Chief Basin Officer added.

Asked whether the aim of the commission has been met, Dr. Abrahams said it is to some extent, but insisted that it was important not to cease working because the people they are dealing with are very ‘recalcitrant’ and would therefore have to do more to ensure discipline prevails. 

“It is not appropriate for community people to build in water ways because that is the reasons for flooding in a lot of places in Ghana and Accra in particular. We need to abide by rules and regulations or the law and ensure that people do not go about their day to day actions in disorderly manner”, he noted. 

CHALLENGES

Despite these initiatives by the commission, Dr. Abrahams added that his outfit faces some challenges in the discharge of their duties. One of the challenges he noted, is clearing of illegal structures along the Weija Lake.

He mentioned that it is important such illegal structures at the area are demolished to save the water body.  

“We have carried out some removal of unauthorized structures and this has gone on in several areas. One of the challenges that we face is clearing unauthorized structures; that is demolition the areas that are not supposed to be inhabited by the people. When you clear people after a while; when you think that understanding has come and people will not move back, they move back to the place, he stated.

  

The Manual gathered that the WRC is soliciting funds to immediately begin the second phase of the project. Cottage industries that are springing up along the banks of the lake will all be affected, it was learnt. 

The Chief Basin Officer further added that the people involved in all forms of activities have already been given warning notices and the commission had indicated to them in earlier durbar that where they are doing their businesses was not appropriate.

This according to him will amount to massive threats to the lake.

“We cannot put our fecal matter, urine and garbage in an environment next to massive water body such as what we see here. We need to instill some discipline in the residents in making sure that people do not get the chance to misbehave’’ he said.

Area very close to the dumping site