The Mayor of Accra, Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, has launched a dedicated WhatsApp line to encourage residents to report accumulated waste in their communities for prompt evacuation and action.
The dedicated number, 054 491 4628, will also enable residents to report sanitation offences to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) for enforcement and prosecution.
Hon. Allotey disclosed the new WhatsApp line on Monday when he visited four flood-affected communities in the metropolis to donate cash, food items and sanitation tools, as well as assess the level of impact and the sanitation situation in the affected areas.
The communities visited included Avenor, Circle, North Kaneshie and Bubuashie, where the Mayor interacted with residents affected by the recent rains and assured them of the Assembly’s continued support.
Speaking in an interview during the visit, Hon. Allotey said the Assembly had observed that large volumes of rubbish had accumulated in the affected communities, hence the need to provide sanitation tools and deploy waste collection trucks to support the clean-up exercise.
He said the AMA had dedicated the entire month to free refuse collection across the metropolis, stressing that residents would not be required to pay for waste evacuation during the period.
Hon. Allotey said the Assembly had stationed some of its officers in the affected communities to coordinate the clean-up exercise and alert the compactors whenever residents gathered the waste at designated points.
According to him, the Assembly had provided wheelbarrows and shovels to the affected communities to help residents gather the rubbish for evacuation by trucks.
He said the Assembly’s intervention was aimed at speeding up the cleaning process, reducing public health risks and restoring normalcy in communities affected by the floods.
Hon. Allotey said the Assembly would return to the affected communities to undertake a more detailed assessment of the needs of residents, particularly those whose buildings and roofing had been damaged.
He said he had directed the Assembly Members in the affected areas to number and identify all affected persons to enable the Assembly to determine those who needed support with roofing, temporary structures or other forms of assistance.
He cautioned residents against dumping refuse into drains, gutters and flood waters, saying such practices contributed significantly to flooding and worsened the impact of heavy rains on communities.
Hon. Allotey said the fight against flooding and poor sanitation required strong community participation and urged residents to support the Assembly by disposing of waste properly and reporting sanitation offences through the new WhatsApp line.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana