Sanitation: Filth Engulfs Circle Neoplan Station

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Persistent delay in collection and disposal of rubbish generated at the Circle Neoplan Station in Accra has become a source of worry to drivers, traders, shoppers, and travellers.

Waste generated within the busy terminal is left unattended for days and serves as breeding ground for mosquitoes and flies.

A visit by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) to the Station on Monday found heaps of garbage in the heart of the terminal.

This, some drivers, and traders described as an eyesore and nuisance.

Mr Farouk Sani, a cargo driver told the GNA in an interview that the situation was receiving little attention from authorities.

He said several complaints from the drivers and traders, as well as passengers to managers of the facility had fallen on deaf ears.

“We have been fighting about this for some time now. We have complained to the Neoplan Station Welfare Secretary, but nothing has been done about it,” he accused.

Mr Sani also noted that the situation was negatively impacting business operations at the Station as travellers were opting for other “cleaner” bus terminals in the city.

“It is really affecting us because when there is rubbish here, who will look for your service.

“Also, I don’t sleep here but I have a mate who sleeps here, and I know that one day, if there is a cholera outbreak, it will affect him,” he stated.

A trader, Ms Nyarkoa Okyere, said the stench that emanated from the site, especially during hot afternoons was very unpleasant.

She noted that the situation, if not addressed immediately, could have dire health consequences for patrons of the Station.

“I do not frequent this Station because of the waste issue here. We all pay some form of levies to the AMA before we sell here, drivers also pay levies, but the managers of the facility are not using the money to improve the sanitation situation here,” she bemoaned.

Meanwhile, leadership of Neoplan Station has rejected claims that it was showing little concern to the problem.

Mr Kassim Alhassan, Welfare Secretary of the Station, while agreeing that the situation was a major problem, said management was doing all it could to address it.

He said management was constantly in talks with the Facility Manager, as well as the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and Zoomlion Waste Management Company, to find a lasting solution to the problem.

He said the leadership of the Station was looking for a more convenient place to relocate the waste dumping site to bring relief to all.

“We are finding a place outside the Station to put up a waste collection facility to ensure effective management of waste at the Station,” he assured.

Mr Sani appealed to the AMA to buck up by increasing surveillance and monitoring agencies contracted to manage waste in the city to ensure that they delivered effectively and efficiently.

Mr Douglas Tagoe, Greater Accra Regional Environmental Health Officer, in an interview with the GNA, said such situations could trigger allergic sicknesses such as asthma, and skin rashes, adding that diseases, including cholera, typhoid and dysentery could also break out.

“The problem is that the service providers are not doing the work well. Some do not have the equipment to do the work but when they want contracts from the Assemblies, they go and hire some of the equipment to win the contract.

“I think that the Assemblies must begin to ensure that they actually do the work when they are awarded the contracts,” he said.

Mr Tagoe urged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to sue waste management companies who reneged on their duties to serve as deterrent to the rest.
Ghana is said to spend $290 million annually on poor sanitation.

By: GNA