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| Hawkers at the Kasoa Toll Booth, area now market |
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 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.
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| 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.
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| Area very close to the dumping site |
