There is a saying that cleanliness is next to Godliness, but it is sad to notice that the people of Kumasi can no longer use this adage when they talk about their garden city. Our daily cleaning of our environment, proper disposal of refuse etc. contributes a lot to our sanitation.
Kumasi is the capital of Ashanti Region and one of the fastest and growing urban areas in the Ghana. Kumasi was named ‘Garden City’ because of its beautiful, clean and green environment they boast themselves of. However, the garden city has now turned to the city of garbage due to the negligence of the citizens towards their sanitation.
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Sanitation refers to the maintenance and delivery of clean, hygienic conditions that help prevent disease through services such as drinking water supply, garbage collection and safe disposal of human waste. Kumasi as a city has performed badly in the aspect of sanitation due to many factors. Bad attitudes of his inhabitants, lack of education on the importance of sanitation, inappropriate planning by local authorities and government agencies in charge of sanitation, failure to enforce sanitation laws by the government and other stakeholders are some of the factors that result to poor sanitation in the city. Sawaba, Alabar, Asawase and Aboabo station are some of the areas in Kumasi with poor sanitation. The place is being flooded with refuse all over. Interactions with a few people from there throws more light on how they lack education on sanitation. Some of these people blamed the government for not enforcing sanitation laws in the country. Others also said they had no choice than to litter around because all dustbin and garbage cans close to the area are full to the brim and it has been like that for almost a year now. Due to this, all open gutters are choked with solid waste. This blocks the drainage of water when it rains and this result to the water being stagnant and becoming a breeding place for mosquitoes.
The people suggested that there should be public education on sanitation and waste management. Again, the existing laws should be enforced, and people who litter around should be punished. They also suggested that government should introduce systems and methods of recycling of waste. Open gutters should also be closed. Sanitation workers should be employed, motivated and seen valuable in the sector. Adequate waste carriage bins and vehicles should be provided and they should be emptied as soon as they are full.
In conclusion, sanitation in Kumasi is very poor which needs much attention to be paid in other to curb this challenge. The government and its agencies as well as the local authorities must pay attention to its causes and effects on the people and the city as well and solutions stated above to help them plan properly on sanitation issues.
By: Appiah Juliet Anaasi
Email: julietanaasi@gmail.com
